I Fell in Love with my Big Brother
by Silver as the Rain
Summary: After moving in with the family of my father's new wife, I found myself surrounded by Asahina brothers! All of which seem to have an apparent fascination with my mouth and keep on kissing me. Despite this, I seem to fit in almost instantly and I finally know what it's like to have a big brother, however one of them...well that's a different story altogether.
1. Chapter 1

The sound of my suitcase was painfully loud as it trundled at my side through the empty street and inwardly I was wincing, hoping it wasn't loud enough to wake everyone up. The train had been delayed by two hours so now I was late arriving at my new home where no less than _thirteen_ new step brothers awaited me. I'll admit I was very nervous, I had grown up alone for the most part of my life because my dad was so often away but now I was being thrown into a situation where I would be surrounded by men.

Not only had the train been late, my transfer train had broken down and then I had to wait forever until a taxi could come to collect me and drive me across town as I had decided to just get off the train to try and make some time however this had not worked out either as the traffic was horrible and we had been stuck for ages at a standstill.

So, all in all, today was a really crappy day. I was several hours late and although I had texted the eldest of the brothers, a guy named Masaomi, to tell him about the late running and the likelihood I wouldn't be there for dinner, my phone had run out of battery so I couldn't call him for a lift back to the house.

The world was against me. No, the entire universe, it seems. Perhaps I should be taking these events and seeing that they were bad omens, warnings that I should not be taking this road to live with thirteen other men. It's a sign, more bad things are going to happen to me. Damn it. Oh well, there's no turning back now. I'd walked for about two hours now and my feet were killing me, not to mention I was bone tired and I was carrying all of my belongings with me. Thank the lord I had thought to send most of my stuff over by delivery so all I had to carry were the things that wouldn't fit in the van.

But still, it made my suitcase pretty heavy and I also had a large box hoisted up onto my shoulder. If anyone were to attack me now I'd be pretty screwed, although I guess I could just smack them with my suitcase and knock them out, however with the luck I have at the moment I doubt it would end well.

Ah! Sweet hallelujah, I've found the apartment complex. At least I was smart enough to print off directions before I left. I couldn't see any lights and everything was quiet so I walked up to the front doors and paused. If I ring the bell, won't that wake everyone up? I'd feel bad about that but I don't particularly want to freeze myself to death out here, it's getting really cold and I'm not dressed to survive a night outside. I'm wearing a skirt and smart blouse, after all with a decorative ribbon. I'd changed after school to look presentable and smart but now I was starting to regret not bringing my coat out from the luggage.

Sucking in a deep breath I clenched my teeth together and pressed the bell, wincing visibly before forcing myself to relax though I struggled to smile, a look of complete guilt stuck on my features as I waited. I waited for a long time but just as I was about to reach up and ring the bell again, the door opened and I came face to face with a mature looking man with slightly wavy hair and eyes swamped with relief. "Thank goodness, we thought something terrible had happened when you didn't arrive this afternoon." He said to me and I blinked as he stepped forwards and placed his hands on my shoulder. "I'm Masaomi Asahina and you're Rikona, right?"

"Right, I'm so sorry to have worried you but my phone died on the journey and there were traffic jams, accidents, delays, you name it." I told him in a squeaky voice, ducking my head in a bow of greeting. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry if I did."

"No, no, I've been awake waiting for you to arrive. Come on in, you look freezing." He said as he took the box from my shoulder to carry it himself then held out a hand for my suitcase. "Let me take your things, you must be tired by now."

"Thank you, that's so kind." I smiled with a relaxed sigh and gladly handed the suitcase over, allowing Masaomi to lead the way up into the apartment. As we ascended in the elevator he gave me a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about meeting everyone tonight, that can wait until tomorrow since you've been travelling all afternoon. Some of the guys have waited up for you but they'll understand if you just want to get some sleep." I felt bad, I'd made them all worry about me and now they'd sacrificed their sleep to stay up to make sure I got here okay. I couldn't just go to bed without saying hello, could I?

"If it's alright, I'd be glad to meet everyone." I spoke timidly after a minute and Masaomi looked at me in surprise. For a moment he said nothing, his eyes scanning my face so I tried to look as awake as possible, blinking away the sleepiness and standing up straight until Masaomi eventually gave a soft chuckle and nodded his head.

"Okay, in that case I'll show you to your room to drop off your stuff then we'll go upstairs, okay?" I nodded my head in agreement, nervously fiddling with the sleeves of my hoodie. We dropped off my stuff and I had a look inside my room, glad to see that all my stuff had arrived safely and I quickly put my suitcase and last box of things down on the floor out of the way before following Masaomi upstairs. "Are you hungry at all? If you want we can fix you up something to eat seeing as you missed dinner." He offered and I blinked myself awake to answer his question as it slowly registered.

"Oh, no thank you. I'm fine. I bought myself a sandwich when I was on the train." I said though the sound of food did appeal to me. I'd eaten that sandwich hours ago and I was hungry but I knew if I ate then I wouldn't be able to sleep so it was better to just leave it for now until breakfast.

"Alright, if you're sure." Masaomi nodded his head before we stepped out onto a wide balcony with a railing that looked down into a living room where a group of men sat, sipping tea and reading various material. "Hey everyone, look who's turned up." As we descended the stairs all of the brothers looked up and around to see us and I hid slightly behind Masaomi, biting on my lip as the four of them got up and approached.

"Well it's about time, we were starting to think you'd been kidnapped or something." A pale, white haired brother said to me with a playful smile as he approached first, arms spread wide. "How about a hug for your new brother?"

"Don't crowd her Tsubaki, give the poor girl some space." A rather tall and broad shouldered man scolded and I blinked slightly as a monk laughed, peering around Masaomi to find me and I found myself feeling a little out of my depth. I was right, I'm not used to so many people around me, and here were only five of them!

"There you are little sis, it's about time you got here. We were about to send a search party out after you." My eyes scanned their faces carefully before I slowly stepped out into the open, the light of a nearby lamp casting over my face to reveal my features to them all and I noticed how they all gave responses of surprise when they saw me. Did I really look that tired? Oh dear…

"Good evening, I'm so sorry to have caused everyone concern but thank you for worrying. I'm very glad to meet you." I said politely as I bowed respectfully to them. "I'm Rikona Hinata."

"Well aren't you the sweetest thing." The monk said with a smile, recovering first as he reached out and stepped close to me, resting his heavy hand on my shoulder. Instantly I stiffened, feeling uncomfortable with the close contact and I think it showed in my face as the broad shouldered blond man stepped forwards and pulled the monk away gently.

"We shouldn't overcrowd her, Kaname, this must be very hard for Rikona to adapt to and she's very tired, we should give her some space and time to settle." He said before turning to me with warmth and kindness. "Sorry about Kaname, he's a monk by profession but an idiot by nature. My name is Ukyo, I'm the second son of the family. These are the twins, Tsubaki and Azusa."

"Hello, it's nice to finally meet you. Welcome." Azusa greeted as his twin brother slung his arm around his neck.

"Our youngest brother wanted to wait up to meet you too but it was late so we made him go to sleep and the others did too, but you can meet them in the morning." Tsubaki informed me and I nodded my head as I tried to stifle a yawn.

"That would be great, thank you." I managed before the yawn took over and I felt my knees begin to grow weak from exhaustion. Thankfully the brothers seemed to notice as Masaomi placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and began to guide me around.

"I think it's time you went to sleep, you're exhausted and rather pale. Don't worry about waking up before you're ready tomorrow, sleep in as much as you like." He told me and I only nodded my head dumbly as I let him guide me along, hardly able to comprehend the fact that I was walking.

"Goodnight little sis, we'll see you in the morning." Kaname called cheerily and the others also said goodnight so I managed to turn back and give them a sleepy smile to them all.

"Goodnight, thanks again for letting me stay here." I managed though I'm pretty sure my words were slurred and my voice had dropped a few tones, aching from tiredness so without further hesitation Masaomi pushed me along until I was at my room where he said goodnight before leaving me to my own devices.

I didn't even bother getting undressed. I kicked off my shoes and climbed under my blanket, collapsing into bed and quickly found sleep and good rest. It was strange at first because the bed was unfamiliar to me when I woke up, so for a moment I didn't recognise where I was until it all came flooding back to me.

Right. My dad is marrying a woman and her thirteen boys were now my new family. I still wasn't sure why I had to move in with them, I guess dad felt guilty about leaving me alone so often and wanted to make sure that I didn't have to feel isolated anymore. It was sweet of him but it didn't change the fact that I was a little afraid. What if they didn't like me? I mean, they've never had a sister before so how would they react to me coming into the mix with barely any warning? Also, how was I going to remember all of their names? I know Masaomi but other than that I'm stumped, I can hardly remember the faces of the brothers I met last night and that makes me feel bad.

Sighing to myself I got up and refreshed myself, brushing my long hair into some sort of order and twisted it back into a bun at the side of my head blow my ear, pulling at my side swept fringe to rearrange it slightly before I looked at myself in the mirror where violet eyes gazed back at me amidst a sea of brown locks. With a sigh I checked to make sure there weren't any creases in my clothes before stepping out of my room, locking it behind me and tucking the key into a pocket as I head back towards where I roughly remembered the living room to be.

It wasn't particularly hard to find and when I stepped into view up on the balcony I saw several people sat down at the table already eating. I didn't mean to be late for breakfast, that's just rude. I hope they don't think me lazy or anything because of it. One of them seemed to sense me standing there as he looked up and instantly smiled. "Rikona, it seems you've slept well. Care to join us?" Ukyo offered and I nodded my head.

"Thank you, that would be nice." I stepped away from the balcony and walked down into the living room where the table was set and everyone was looking at me, standing up in their seats. "Good morning everyone." I greeted and bowed my head briefly. When a few of them started to chuckle I frowned in confusion. What was so funny? Do I have something on my face?

"More like good afternoon, Rikona, it's dinner time." Masaomi informed me as he pulled out an empty chair for me to sit down in as my eyes widened in horror. "I have to say I'm glad you slept as well as you did, when I checked on you this morning you had a slight temperature but you seem much better now."

"Oh, yes. I feel just fine." I told him shyly before moving towards the seat that he'd pulled out for me. "I'm sorry I slept so long, I can't believe I missed breakfast."

"Don't worry about it, you were hardly awake when you came up to say hey last night, we're surprised you even managed to make conversation." One of the twins said and I looked at him blankly for a moment before his name came to me. Tsubaki. His name is Tsubaki. Is it? I don't know…I'm not sure.

"Hey, who's the new girl? Is that the one who's going to be my new big sister?" A little ten year old boy with pale pink hair questioned and Kaname leaned towards him with a cheeky grin.

"That's right Wataru, this is Rikona. She's going to be staying with us from now on. Isn't that great?" He questioned and when he caught me looking at them he winked, making me quickly avert my eyes uncomfortably though I looked back when Wataru called out to me again.

"Hey sis! Welcome to the family! I'm Wataru and I'm the youngest of all the Asahina brothers. It's going to be so cool having you around, we can go to the park and play all day long, right?" He questioned and I couldn't help but love the little guy's cute sweetness. I found myself speaking without even needing to think about it at all.

"Sure, that would be fun." I nodded my head and Wataru cheered as the others chuckled. After a moment of smiling along with them I felt someone's eyes practically burning a hole into the side of my head so I turned to look, finding one of the brother's staring at me however when I caught him he quickly looked away. Weird, I wonder what his problem is.

"How about we all introduce ourselves again?" Masaomi suggested as he took his place at the table. "I'm the eldest of all of us brothers, Masaomi." He began and I nodded towards him, smiling gently as I then looked to Ukyo who gave a friendly smile to me.

"And I'm Ukyo, the second." They all introduced themselves, the twins going next and Wataru jumped in after Kaname, not wanting to be last and I had a small chuckle at that as I greeted him again. "To your left is Yusuke, you're actually older than he is so don't let him push you around at all." Ukyo told me and I looked to the bright red haired guy as he gave me a suspicious look before pointedly turning his nose upwards.

"Whatever, hey." He greeted and I blinked, slightly hurt at the cold greeting but I quickly hid it with a smile.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." I said before looking to the last two who were yet to be introduced. One was the one I'd caught staring at me and the other had silvery grey hair, his expression a little more relaxed than that of the brother sitting next to him.

"And lastly there's Subaru and Iori. The tenth and ninth son of the family." Masaomi was saying. "I know it's a lot to take in so don't worry if you forget anyone's names, I'm sure you'll catch on soon enough." He told me kindly and I nodded to him gratefully.

"I'll try my best." I promised and quickly started chanting their names in my head to get them mapped down.

"Believe it or not but this isn't all of us." Kaname told me as I began to eat, blushing as my stomach began to rumble loudly in demand for food so I quickly swallowed a large bite then ate some more. "There's thirteen of us in total and some of us have branched out, either finding their own place or are constantly moving around." He explained to me. "Though Louis should be back some time tonight, he's a hairstylist. I'll warn you now but he'll want to play with your hair almost the moment he sees you."

"Really? I wouldn't mind if wants to, I like it when someone plays with my hair, it's rather therapeutic." I said without thinking so I blushed in embarrassment. "When my dad was home he would, you know, sit with me and play with my hair."

"You do have rather lovely hair, it has a pretty tone to it." Tsubaki mused thoughtfully from my side and reached out to touch it however Ukyo slapped his hand away and I relaxed as he told Tsubaki to quit being insensitive. A playful and enjoyable banter was struck up by the brothers and I listened quietly, basking in the warm atmosphere with an easy smile as I finished my food then stood, helping to clean away the table and wash up the dishes though Ukyo insisted that I didn't have to do anything and that I should be relaxing.

I wanted to help though so I cleaned the dishes and put them away once they were dry, familiarising myself with the kitchen before I found myself being pounced upon by Wataru, his arms locking around my waist. "Big sis! Do you want to come play with me? I have a lot of cool toys you can choose from, I'll even let you keep one if you want as welcome home present!" He offered and I blinked in bewilderment before I recovered myself and placed my hand on top of his head to run my fingers through my hair.

"That's so sweet of you Wataru, thank you." I said and his eyes widened, his expression becoming awe filled and dreamy as I continued to stroke my fingers through his soft hair until he smiled up at me with a gentle happiness.

"I'll show you the way to my room, come on! You can meet my giant bunny." He declared and grabbed my hand to then drag me out of the kitchen and to his own room where I was introduced to this giant fluffy bunny. I ended up spending a good two hours playing with Wataru, pretending to be his princess whilst he played the valiant knight in shining armour who would come to my rescue, battling terrible demons and beasts including a giant zombie bunny who held me captive.

Just as Wataru saved me from the clutches of evil, the door was opened and Ukyo looked inside, surprised to see us laughing until our sides hurt with stitches, the floor covered in stuffed toys whilst Wataru stood dressed in a suit of armour and my crown sat lopsided on my head from where it had slipped. "Oh my, it looks like you've all been having fun." He chuckled as I blushed with a grin.

"You bet! Big sis is the greatest!" Wataru cheered as he leaped up into the air with a jump of celebration and I giggled as he landed on his giant bunny's soft grip where he then began to yell, claiming to have been captured.

"Okay that's enough for now Wataru." Ukyo said after we'd recovered from our laughter. "It's time for you to have a bath and get ready for bed. It's getting late and you have school tomorrow." Wataru instantly began to complain so I stood up and brushed myself off, slipping the crown from my head and placed it back on the shelf where Wataru had grabbed it from.

"Hey Wataru, how about I walk with you to school tomorrow? Would you like that?" I asked and Wataru's eyes instantly became shiny and bright with happiness.

"You mean it? You'll walk with me to school? That'll be so cool!" He cheered as Ukyo folded his arms with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Can she Ukyo? I want Rikona to walk with me to school, then I can show all my friends how awesome my new sister is!" He cheered and I blushed slightly at his heart warming words though Ukyo frowned slightly.

"I'm not sure, if you walk Wataru to school then you won't be able to get to your own school in time, right? You did transfer across, didn't you? Or are you still going to go to your old school across town?" Ukyo asked and I bit my lip slightly as I pulled at my sleeve behind my back.

"Well actually…I don't go to school." I revealed and both Ukyo and Wataru looked at me in surprise. "I've been home schooled since I was thirteen because I found school too easy and unchallenging. They tried moving me up a year but the other kids weren't too happy about being shown up by a little kid so dad pulled me out. I've been studying from home ever since and I finished my final grade just last year."

"Oh, I didn't know." Ukyo said as Wataru stared at me.

"You don't have to go to school? That's so unfair! Why do I have to go to school?" He demanded to know so I reached out and rested my hand on his head with a small chuckle, smiling as the touch instantly calmed him down and he blinked up at me as I ran my fingers through his hair.

"Because it's more fun than studying alone. I grew up without any friends but you get to have as many as you like, isn't that great?" I reasoned with him. "But right now I think it's time you got ready for bed because I can see you're starting to get sleepy." I teased, ruffling his hair and taking his hand to lead him forwards with a gentle tug whilst he yawned.

"But I'm…not tired. Not tired at all." He insisted however I only tossed him a cheery smile before Ukyo took over and directed him towards the bath, making him get himself ready for bed whilst I turned to my own bedroom and started to unpack things. I shut myself away until I heard a knock half an hour later where Wataru stepped inside to call goodnight before I was alone again.

All my stuff was packed away in boxes and the furniture that I'd brought with me, like my desk and drawers, were tucked away in the corner along with my bookcase. With a determined expression I rolled back my sleeves and began to unpack all of my books, putting them onto the shelves once I had moved the bookcase to the opposite side of the room, somehow managing to slide it over the floor and push it against the wall so that it was opposite my bed.

I had so many books that once the shelves were full I moved my desk to sit it under the window, grunting and puffing with exhaustion at the heavy weight I struggled against until finally it was in place perfectly so that I could look out the window whilst I was working. The rest of my books went into the compartments either side and I arranged my stationary on the top, ordering everything just the way I liked it with my cherry blossom paperweight settled neatly where I'd be able to look at it. It had been a birthday gift from my dad, the tree blooming even in the coldest of winters and it always made me smile when I looked at it.

Next came my chest of drawers with all my clothes in it. This I pushed back so it stood between my bed and desk and placed more books on top before I set up my TV with all my movies and video games, neatly putting them away before I arranged my plushies and pillows on my bed now that I'd unpacked them all.

I had a fox plushie and a killer whale stuffed toy that I had had ever since childhood. I may be a little old for them really but that didn't mean I had to let them go. After all, there's nothing wrong with having a cuddle with your favourite stuffed toys every once in a while no matter how old you are. They went on my bed with all my pillows that I stacked at the opposite end and finally, I was done.

Left with all the boxes I began to pile them up, stacking them one by one until I began to ship them out, carrying them out of my room and down the hall however with so many in my arms I didn't have a clue what was in front of me until I heard someone give a call out to notify me that I was about to run over them with my cardboard boxes.

"Whoa there, need a hand?"

"Tsubaki?" I questioned, sticking my head out to see him helping me hold onto the boxes so that they wouldn't tumble out my arms. "Thank you, that's kind of you." I said with relief as Azusa appeared also.

"Are these all the boxes you carried your stuff in?" He asked as he took the other half from my arms, leaving me with nothing as they both carried it all between them.

"Yeah, I've just finished unpacking." I explained, giving my sleeve a tug as I struggled to make eye contact with the two of them, shifting from foot to foot. "I was wondering what I should do with them, I don't know if any of you would have any use for them or if it would be better to just throw them into the recycling." Tsubaki hummed in thought as Azusa glanced his way before turning a smile to me.

"We'll put them into the recycling, I can't see any reason why we'd need to keep them." He informed me and Tsubaki nodded his head.

"That sounds like the best idea. You should have called one of us over, we would have helped you unpack Rikona." Tsubaki said to me as the two of them turned and began to head towards the elevator where I followed behind.

"It's fine, I had it all in hand. I didn't want to waste anyone's time." A second after the words were out of my mouth Tsubaki turned around and caught my chin between his finger and thumb, drawing me closer until our faces were barely inches apart and I squeaked upon instinct, tensing all over.

"Any time spent with you little lady is not wasted." He said smoothly, eyes boring into mine rather fiercely and I felt my tongue seize up as I struggled to come up with an answer however my mind had also gone blank, meaning that I had no idea what to do or say. Thankfully Azusa still had a sensible head on his shoulders and with a heavy fist to his brother's head he freed me from his brother's grasp. "Ow! That hurt!"

"Good, maybe it'll knock some sense into you. Leave the poor girl alone." Azusa told him strictly as I exhaled and recovered from the shock, feeling my heart pounding in my chest as I took a slow step back from Tsubaki who noticed the movement and gave me a careless smile.

"Don't worry, I'm only teasing you Rikona, it's what siblings do, right?" He reminded me as the two of them stepped into the lift with all the boxes. "We'll take care of these okay? You go ahead and relax, get used to your new home a little more."

"If you need any help with anything, remember you can call for any of us. We'll be there for you." Azusa sweetly told me as the doors closed and I was left there blinking in astonishment, a little confused about what had just happened but I quickly snapped myself out of it and turned around to head back to my room.

I know what I need, I need a shower or a bath because I haven't had one since yesterday and I could do with a little time to relax. My back hurts from pushing around my furniture and a hot bath would heal me up perfectly. So with this in mind I gathered a towel along with my toiletries then went to the main bathroom, knocking to make sure it was vacant before I stepped inside and locked myself in.

With the hot water running I was soon surrounded by steam which relaxed my muscles and I sank into the water with a blissful sigh, letting my head relax back against the cushioning pad and soaked in the heat and scented water. Pretty soon I was lulled by the peaceful sensations and I almost dozed off but I managed to snap myself awake and began to properly wash myself, scrubbing my skin before I moved onto my hair, rinsing off the soap with the showerhead before I drained away the water and stepped out of the tub.

I dried my hair off as much as I could and wrapped myself in a towel before turning to pick up my pyjamas. Once I was completely dry I slipped them on, smirking at the smiley faces of my bottoms as I tugged the baggy shirt over my head then wrapped my hair up in the towel to keep the damp tresses from dripping water against my shirt.

With my bath time now over I head back to my room to put my things away and drew a fluffy robe around me, wrapping up before I picked up a book and settled down in the living room to read peacefully as the brothers came and went, sometimes stopping to talk with me and I'd happily enter conversation with them before they had to go.

It was pretty late when I decided that it might be a good time to turn in, almost midnight however as I stood up someone appeared at the balcony, yawning sleepily however when he noticed me he looked down and blinked. "Hey, you're that new sister of ours, aren't you?" He asked in a lax tone as I took in his features.

"That's right. I'm Rikona." I introduced myself and he gave me a tired smile as he walked down the stairs casually and approached.

"I'm Louis, my brothers might have told you about me? I'm a hairstylist." He explained and I nodded my head, remembering Ukyo mentioned him at dinner. He was slim and a little lanky, taller than I was but that wasn't particularly difficult. I was pretty small myself. However Louis had this amazing pale blond almost white hair that looked effortlessly styled, swept to the side with waves of it framing his face with only his left eye showing, a colour of interesting greyish brown, hinted with a slight tinge of mauve. "Wow, they said you were pretty but you're way cuter than they described." He complimented, making me blush as he reached out and looked at my hair, running it through his fingers. "It's in good condition, I think you'd look really nice with it styled properly, have you ever thought about getting it cut?"

"Cut? Oh no, not really. I'm not very adventurous when it comes to my hair." I admitted as he dropped his hand and stepped back slightly, allowing me my space as he somehow managed to sense that I was growing uncomfortable by the contact. The small gesture made me like him all the more so I smiled further. "But if you wanted, I wouldn't mind you having a try with it. Your brothers tell me you're very good at your work so I'm fairly certain I could trust you with my hair."

"Don't sweat it, I'll have you looking as pretty as a princess Kona, don't you worry." Kona? No one's ever shortened my name before and to hear such a pet name made me stop for a moment, staring at Louis as he tilted his head to the side curiously, noticing my expression. "What's the matter Kona? You okay? You're not feeling unwell, are you?"

"No, it's just…no one's ever called me Kona before." I said, feeling suddenly emotional and I sniffed pathetically, berating myself inside as I wiped my eyes to hide the fact that they were tearing up. "It's nice, I like it. Thank you Louis."

"You're welcome Kona, it's nice to have you here and, stuff." He continued in his slow drone but I found the way he spoke oddly soothing, making me relax completely in his presence as he smiled to me once again. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? You sleep well Kona, sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams to you too Louis, it was nice to meet you." I said after him as he turned and went back upstairs to head to his room, leaving me alone in the living room. I paused a moment before giving a singular laugh under my breath, smiling as I turned off the lights and went back to my own room, a ridiculous smile on my lips as I settled down in bed and looked up in the darkness, unable to help but murmur my new pet name to myself. "Kona."


	2. Chapter 2

"What's for dinner Ukyo? Can we have hamburger steak curry? Can we?" Wataru was pleading with Ukyo as the three of us walked him to school, Wataru standing between us with me on the far side away from the road, my hand wrapped around my new little brother's hand as we walked.

"I'm not sure yet Wataru, you'll just have to wait and see." Ukyo told me as we stepped onto the road to cross the street. "How are you holding up, Rikona? You're not feeling overwhelmed by the sudden changes are you?"

"I'm alright thank you Ukyo, I'm settling in just fine. Everyone is so nice and welcoming, it feels a little strange to be surrounded by so many people but at the same time I enjoy it." I admitted as Wataru grinned up at me. "I really feel like part of the family."

"That's good, we're glad you feel that way." Ukyo smiled to me as Wataru jumped about excitedly.

"I can't wait to tell everyone all about you, they're going to be so jealous." He declared a little smugly as he gripped onto my hand a little tighter. "I have the prettiest, smartest and coolest sister ever and they don't."

"Now, now Wataru, although these things may be true you shouldn't brag about things that you might have when other children don't, it's not polite." Ukyo reprimanded gently as I blushed a bright scarlet, turning my head away bashfully. They really didn't need to compliment me like that, it made me feel a little embarrassed but the sentiment was sweet and I appreciated their thoughtfulness. "Hello?" I looked around to see Ukyo had answered a call on his phone so I came to a stop and Wataru halted beside me, the two of us looking back to Ukyo as he frowned and commented from time to time before ending the call. "I'm very sorry but I have to run, there's been an emergency with one of my cases and I'm needed immediately."

"That's not a problem, I'll walk Wataru to school and I can come back later to collect him again if that's what you need." I offered and Ukyo looked at me as if I were a hero.

"Thank you so much Rikona, I'm sorry to have to do this to you. Do you know the way? It's just down this road and around the corner, it isn't far from here." He directed and I nodded my head as Wataru beamed, happy at the promise that I'd be there later to collect him after school. "Make sure you're careful walking home, the roads are very busy today."

"We'll be careful, won't we Wataru?"

"You bet!" He cheered positively as Ukyo hailed a cab and quickly gave the address to the driver whilst Wataru and I stood to the side, allowing him to open the door and as he began to slide inside I gave him a smile and a wave.

"Have a good day at work, we'll see you when you get home!" Ukyo stopped and turned to look at me quickly, eyes wide with a strange expression as he froze in place half in the cab however after a few moments he shook himself awake and waved back to us.

"Thanks, you too. Be good Wataru." He called before he closed the door and was quickly driven away back the way we came. Both Wataru and I watched him leave, his hand still gripped in mine as we stood in the street, the busy throng of people already thick and continuing to rise so I pulled Wataru a little closer to me.

"Come on, let's get going. You don't want to be late, do you?" I turned to Wataru after a few moments and together we walked merrily along, Wataru chanting a song brightly as he hopped and skipped like a bundle of energy until we arrived at his school gates where a flood of children were rushing inside away from parents and siblings as they were dropped off and they all raced into the playground to play.

"You promise to come and get me after school, right big sis?" He asked me seriously, pouting up at me as he tugged on the sleeve of my shirt to draw my attention to him. "Right?"

"Of course, I'll be waiting for you so don't worry. Just promise not to leave without me, you're not to walk home without me okay? Otherwise I might lose my way. I'll need you to help get me back home without getting lost." I told him before gesturing for him to go inside. "Have a good day Wataru, I hope you learn lots."

"Me too, I'll see you later big sis!" I smiled and waved goodbye as he hurried into school and ran straight towards his friends, tackling them with laughter and I watched him affectionately before turning to leave, walking back the way I had come so that I could return home.

When I got back I found I was all alone. Everyone was either at work, school or college, leaving me with no one to talk to and I sighed softly, unsure of what to do with myself. I could study for the exams I'd be entering myself for but to be honest I didn't feel like it today, it was so warm outside that it would be a waste to spend it indoors. Studying can wait until later. First let's hang up the washing so that it'll dry and then see what else I can do around the house to be helpful, that'll be a nice surprise for everyone when they get home.

So I started on the chores, going through the washing and making sure that I separated the washes so that nothing was mixed together and hung it all out on the washing line to dry in the hot sun before I washed all the windows, vacuumed the carpets and mopped the floors. I was so engrossed in the work that when the clock read two in the afternoon I blinked in surprise before listening to my howling stomach. I'd been rather negligent to my poor stomach recently, no wonder I'm starving.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Someone called out and I stepped out of the kitchen, wiping my hands dry from where I had washed them in preparation to make myself some lunch and start on dinner for everyone else later.

"Welcome home Tsubaki, Azusa, how was your day?" I asked them and they turned around to face me, instantly smiling.

"Well if it isn't our favourite little sister." Tsubaki declared as he came closer and gave me a firm hug though I stood there awkwardly, shrinking back from him slightly before I forced myself to relax. Actually, when I came to think about it, this was rather comfortable. I was the perfect height to be hugged, it seemed, as I nestled neatly into Tsubaki's arms and I felt oddly comforted by the secureness of his embrace.

"Shouldn't you be in school Rikona?" Azusa asked me as he pulled his brother off me with a tug, his eyes never once leaving mine as I made myself maintain eye contact.

"I was home schooled, but I'm actually older than I look so I finished school already and now I'm just studying for my advanced exams. In fact I pretty much teach myself what I need to know." I explained to them briefly before gesturing towards the kitchen. "I was about to make myself some food, are you two hungry?"

"Hmm starving. Want some help?" Tsubaki asked and I nodded my head, accepting their offer and together we made vegetable omelettes to snack on whilst I then started on hamburger steak curry for dinner per Wataru's request.

"So how come you were home schooled Rikona?" Azusa asked me as he and Tsubaki ate at the table whilst I remained in the kitchen chopping up vegetables to throw into my own omelette as I had insisted on doing theirs first.

"Was it because you're really a genius?" Tsubaki questioned in a teasing tone and I blushed slightly as I struggled to think of a way to answer without sounding too big headed.

"Well…kind of. I've been studying college material since I was fifteen and have already completed several courses in different academic areas." I revealed. Tsubaki's mouth dropped as Azusa coughed on his omelette, spluttering helplessly as I winced guiltily as Tsubaki had to slap Azusa on the back to help dislodge the stuck food so that he could breathe again.

"Wow, guess we weren't expecting that." Tsubaki said after a few minutes of recovery. "Looks like we have a little genius in the family now."

"Sure does. So what do you want to do when you're older Rikona? Is there any type of career that takes your fancy?" Azusa queried and I had to think for a moment before answering, formulating my answer carefully.

"Well I'm not entirely sure what I want to do. I know that it would be selfish of me not to take advantage of the abilities I have to do well in scientific or medicinal careers because maybe I could help make a life changing difference somehow, but then again I don't know if I'd really be happy in that kind of career path." I admitted as I whisked the eggs. "It's just not one of my passions."

"You need to think about what makes you truly happy." Azusa said to me wisely as Tsubaki nodded his head.

"It's your life after all, whatever career you choose needs to be something that you can enjoy day in and day out." I nodded my head in agreement, knowing that it was true what they were saying. "So, is there anything else you enjoy? Does our little genius have any other secret talents she'd like to share with us?" I paused a moment and blushed deeply, pretending to be busy with cooking my omelette however Tsubaki grinned and began to prod. "Come on, I know there's something, you can tell us. We promise not to tell."

"I…I write poetry a little. I don't know whether it's good or not though." I stuttered slightly before shaking my head. "I took a few night classes for literature but I didn't like being surrounded by so many people and whenever the tutor asked me a question I just couldn't speak. Guess I was just too shy back then."

"That's too bad, but hey, we'll always read whatever it is you've got!" Tsubaki called out brightly as I finished my omelette and brought it over to the table. "Then there's no need to be nervous because it's just us. I'm sure you're awesome."

"Maybe someday." I decided before sitting down and beginning to eat. Tsubaki and Azusa carried the conversation from there, their banter making me laugh and smile as I occasionally joined in though for the most part I just listened to them until we had all finished eating and we cleaned up together before I carried on making preparations for dinner.

"We'll be out until late this evening so don't worry about dinner for us, we'll get something whilst we're out." Azusa informed me as they put on their coats ready to leave. "We'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay sure, be careful out there, especially when it gets dark." I said to them as I stood in front of them, tugging at the sleeve of my blouse as the ribbon at the front began to slip from the tidy bow I had tied it into so I reached up and neatened it once more.

"Thanks, that's sweet of you." Tsubaki said and gently ruffled my hair with affection. "You take care of yourself as well, don't let any strangers in the house and be careful when going out if you go on your own."

"I will, thank you." I promised as Azusa gave me a warm smile before the two of them left, glancing over their shoulders to me so I waved them goodbye before the elevator doors closed and they were gone. Instantly a pang of loneliness struck and I sighed sadly, looking around me at the empty space before going back to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.

When the time came for me to go and collect Wataru I put on my light jacket and some shoes, grabbing my bag also with my purse, phone and keys in it to then rush downstairs and hurried along to the school just as the kids began to escape in a thick swarm, running to parents and guardians with loud shouts as I struggled against the flow, trying to spot Wataru in the masses.

"Hey big sis! Over here!" The moment I heard his voice my head snapped around to find him waving at me from the playground, standing safely out of the way and I sighed with relief before I smiled and waved back to him. He was climbing on the apparatus but the moment our eyes made contact he had jumped down and started running to me so I moved closer to the gate, waiting for him to reach me before finally he jumped up and flung his arms around me. "You made it! You're the best sis."

"Thanks Wataru, that's so sweet of you." I thanked him with a laugh as I ruffled his hair. "Come on, let's get out of here before the stampede gets any worse." I joked and together we raced away from the school hand in hand, Wataru's smile making me feel warm inside with an odd pride. My new little brother talked about his day in full detail with me responding with enthusiasm, praising him for any good work and laughing when he told me about his teacher's snoring when they'd found her fast asleep in the classroom during lunch break.

"Can we go to the park big sis? Please?" He suddenly begged and I looked up to see the park just to our left and I paused, frowning slightly before I checked the time on my phone to see how much time we had before everyone else would be getting home and when they would be wanting dinner.

"Sure, just for a little while." I decided with a firm nod of my head.

"Yay!" Wataru instantly charged into the park and ran straight for the swings, calling out for me to push him though I suspected he was perfectly capable of swinging himself. I pushed him on the swings until he was practically flying, grinning from ear to ear as I stood back and enjoyed watching him having fun, deciding that having a little brother was a great thing indeed.

After the swings Wataru went on the slide and then the roundabout, making me run around spinning him until I was out of breath and he was too dizzy to walk straight, stumbling from side to side as we both giggled so I let him jump onto my back to carry him as I picked up his bag. "That was fun, can we come back tomorrow sis?"

"Maybe Wataru, we'll have to see." I said to him as I carried him out of the park and down the road back home. "But if the weather is nice on Saturday, how about we come down here for a picnic and we can spend as long as we want here?" I suggested and Wataru instantly brightened at the idea, chanting the word picnic over and over with enthusiasm as his arms flung around my neck in a hug before he quickly loosened them, not wanting to choke me.

As we approached home I saw Yusuke coming from the opposite direction, hands deep in his pockets but he blinked when he saw us, halting slightly before continuing. "Hey, what's up?" He questioned as Wataru flung out a hand to wave.

"What up big bro?! Big sis picked me up from school and we played in the park on the way home, isn't that cool?" Wataru slid down off my back and instantly I rolled my shoulders tiredly, struggling to contain a yawn as my legs began to feel heavy from all that running around after Wataru. I have no idea how he has so much energy but I definitely want some for myself, that would be so great.

"Oh. Right, yeah." Yusuke said, looking everywhere but at us and I looked at him with an innocent confusion. Why wasn't he making eye contact? It's making this feel a little awkward to be honest.

"How was your day Yusuke? Did you have fun at school?" I asked, trying to prompt a friendly conversation and Yusuke blinked in surprise and finally looked at me, as if he had only just noticed I was there. I wasn't sure if he was just shy or being purposefully rude but whichever it was, I don't think he was too comfortable around me. At least that makes two of us.

"It was cool I guess. You can't really call school _fun_." He stressed before shrugging. "But whatever. Are we going inside or what?" I nodded my head quickly and shuffled inside, keeping my head turned away from Yusuke so he wouldn't see my flush of embarrassment. Maybe we just needed a little more time before we were more comfortable with one another. After all, he's never had a sister before so maybe he's just unsure of how to act around me.

Wataru was still talking away about things and I tried my best to keep up but he was talking so fast that soon enough it was all just a jumbled mess so I placed my hand on his head and instantly his mouth snapped shut. "Calm down Wataru, there's still plenty of time to tell me all about your friends and school, don't worry." I told him affectionately as I ran his hair through my fingers. "How about you go inside, get changed out of your uniform and have some downtime? If you need help with any homework then I'd be glad to sit down with you and we'll go through it, okay?"

"Okay! Thanks big sis, you really are the best big sister in all the world!" Wataru declared as the doors slid open and he darted away like an aeroplane, making me chuckle softly as I stepped outside also.

"You two seem like you're getting along." Yusuke noted and I looked back to him in surprise. I think he was stunned he had spoken as well as it was showing on his face, a comical expression which made me giggle quietly.

"Yeah, Wataru is the sweetest. I've always wanted a little brother and now I do, it's the greatest." I informed him as we head towards the living room and kitchen, Yusuke following after me. "I have a whole new family and although it's a little strange, it's really refreshing. I can talk to people and have dinner with them instead of being on my own all the time."

"I guess it has its up sides." Yusuke mused, rubbing the back of his head as I slid out of my jacket and hung up my bag with it before heading to the kitchen and slipped on an apron to continue with dinner. "So…" He started, unsure of what to say so I waited for him to get his thoughts together, giving an encouraging smile which made him blush slightly. "What's for dinner?" He blurted and I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. Yusuke was kind of adorable in his own way, I think he's just shy after all.

"Hamburger steak curry. Is that okay?" I asked and he jerked slightly before looking away quickly.

"Oh yeah, sure. It's fine, I guess." He babbled, making me chuckle until I heard my phone ringing from my pocket where I had slipped it after retrieving it from my bag. There was no name on the identification but I accepted the call anyway.

"Hello?"

"Rikona, it's Ukyo. I'm sorry to have to ask but would you mind terribly if you could make dinner for everyone tonight? I'm afraid my case is taking me longer than I had expected and there are still so many notes I need to go over before I can come home." Ukyo's resonant voice came from the other end and I blinked in surprise before smiling.

"Of course, it's not a problem. I've already started on dinner anyway so I'll make you a plate and put it in the fridge ready for when you come home, okay?" There was a pause before Ukyo gave a rich chuckle.

"Thank you, I really appreciate that, you're wonderful Rikona." He said to me and I blushed slightly, uncomfortable by the compliment but grateful all the same. "I'll see you later, thanks again."

"No worries, good luck with your case notes and everything Ukyo." I said before the call was ended. I saved his contact details and added his name before I slipped my phone away and continued with dinner. "Ukyo won't be home until late tonight." I informed Yusuke who nodded his head.

"Cool, so who else is eating with us?"

"Well, Tsubaki and Azusa said that they'd be out late with work as well but they'll be picking up dinner themselves, other than that I'm not sure." I murmured thoughtfully before I looked towards the chart on the fridge, trying to get a rough number of how many of us would be eating. Apparently Kaname would be here and so would Subaru whilst Iori wouldn't be home until later. I guess I'll just make dinners for everyone and put them in the fridge. If they don't get eaten then they can always go in the freezer for another day, it's not a problem.

"Hey, so I've been thinking." Yusuke began and I looked his way as I began to cook. "I've heard from the others that you're home schooled and that you're pretty smart, so I've been wondering if, like, you wouldn't mind…" He trailed off, fidgeting slightly as I continued to watch him.

"Are you asking for help with your studies Yusuke?" I asked him and he hesitated a moment before nodding his head. "Of course, I'd be happy to help you. How about after dinner we can sit down and I'll help you with your homework?" I offered and a wave of relief washed over him as he exhaled.

"That would be great, thanks."

"No problem." I smiled to him brightly before turning back to the pot of rice I was cooking to go with the curry. Yusuke disappeared after that however Subaru and Louis came home not long after, the both of them looking a little tired as they crashed out on the sofa so I made them some refreshing tea and carried it over to them. "Hey, I made you some tea, you look like you could use with some refreshment." I said and placed the cups down on the coffee table in front of them.

"Thanks Kona, that's like, totally cool of you." Louis said and I beamed at him as Subaru looked away with a slight redness to his cheeks.

"Yeah. Thanks." I paused when I looked at him, noticing that he was rather sweaty and his hand was shaking a little even as he clenched it into a fist, the flush on his face deepening as I stepped closer to him.

"Are you feeling okay Subaru?" I questioned and reached out to rest my hand against his forehead, making him jump slightly and stare at me with wide dark grey eyes as I checked his temperature. "You're burning up, have you come down with a fever?"

"No I'm fine, I just got back from basketball practice." He explained so I exhaled softly, glad to know he wasn't getting sick.

"That's good, you made me worry for a moment there." I said as I drew back and began to fiddle with my sleeve. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour, is that okay for you guys? If you're really hungry then I can always make you a small snack."

"No worries, we're cool waiting for an hour. Right Subaru?" Louis asked and the basketball player gave a small nod of his head as Louis sipped on his tea. "Ah, that hit the spot. Thanks again Kona, you're a life saver."

"My pleasure." I insisted before turning and heading back into the kitchen to carry on preparing dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

Things started to fall into a pattern as I settled into my new life. I would walk Wataru to school every weekday before coming home to do the chores, cleaning my room as well as anywhere else that needed attention before making lunch for whoever stopped by, though it was rare that anyone did because they were always so busy. In the afternoon I would do some studying and work before going to collect Wataru and we would spend half an hour in the park before heading home where I would help make dinner then afterwards, I'd sit down with Yusuke and help him with his own studying and homework.

The two of us started to get along rather well until it was easy to laugh and joke with one another, poking fun at the other as I tutored Yusuke in the subjects he struggled with, mainly math. He became a kind of friend as well as a brother and it felt nice, because I'd never had a real friend before.

However whenever I was home alone, I did feel really alone. I was used to talking to people now and the condo was so large that the empty space felt exaggerated. It was no big deal, I was used to it but still, it was nice when everyone came home and I could talk with them again. I really started to feel like part of the family. The brothers all cared for me in their own way and it was nice every time they would tell me about their day and we'd have a good laugh or conversation about things that interest us, finding similarities and things we could discuss endlessly until it was late in the evening.

Tonight was one of those lonely nights. Practically everyone was away either with work, practice or study groups. Even Wataru had gone round to a friend's house to stay the night into Saturday, meaning I was all on my own again so I took this chance to go out and buy some more food for the fridge as it was beginning to deplete itself. I'd have to use some of the allowance my dad gave me but that was okay seeing as I hadn't really had any need to use it since I'd moved in here.

Getting back was more of a struggle as I carried six bags, three in each hand, all full to the brim with food and they were beginning to make my arms ache from the weight until finally I managed to get them back inside. "Geez, next time I'll take one of the guys with me, that was way too much work for one person." I puffed out a breath of air as I put the bags in the kitchen before I realised that someone else was in the house.

I could see a pair of feet poking out from the sofa and I instantly tensed, frowning in confusion and slight worry as I inched towards them. How had I missed someone sleeping on the couch as I'd walked past them? Stupid Rikona, you're supposed to be smart. Stepping closer I looked over the side of the sofa to see a young boy fast asleep, wearing a striped shirt with perfect hair even though he was sleeping on his arm. Was he one of the brothers I hadn't met yet? He must be Futo, the pop idol that Kaname had told me about a while ago.

He looks like he'd just crawled onto the sofa and fell asleep, it must be hard being a star at such a young age with all that responsibility and pressure. I was about to step away to get him a blanket when I realised that his eyes were open and he was looking directly at me. "Who the hell are you? How did you get in here?" He demanded and I started at his rude tone before scowling.

"I'm Rikona and I live here, so I came in through the front door." I informed him simply as I placed my hands on my hips. "I'm guessing you're Futo, the twelfth son of the Asahina family." His eyebrow arched slightly as he turned onto his back and rubbed his arm over his forehead, frowning at me thoughtfully.

"Oh right, I remember now. You're the daughter of the guy my mother is marrying." He said before sitting upright and walking around the couch to face me, getting a little too close for comfort as he pushed his face close to mine. "Hm, you don't look like much. How come you're not at school? Did you drop out or something? I bet you're an idiot and gave up."

"I was home schooled, actually, and I have already finished my tuition." I answered back snappily, quickly losing patience with this obvious attitude this kid has. "So I don't go to school. Now if you will excuse me, I have things I need to be doing." Brushing him aside I strode past and straight into the kitchen where I began to put things away so that they wouldn't spoil.

"You're pretty stupid, don't you even know who I am?" Futo demanded as he followed me and leaned casually against the counter, flicking his hair aside. "I'm a famous singer, you know."

"Yeah I know, I'm just not all that impressed." I answered before I tossed him a couple of tins. "Now make yourself useful and put those away." His eyes widened and he stared at me before slowly obeying, turning around to put them in the cupboard however he had to go hunting to find the right one.

"So you know who I am but you're not impressed? How does that figure? Don't you like my singing little sis?" He queried as I continued to stock up the fridge with the food.

"I guess your singing is okay, it's your songs that I don't like. They all sound the same and they're all about the same old stuff that doesn't mean anything. Though I shouldn't be all too surprised, seeing as you're just a little kid and have no life experience so what else do you have to sing about other than what people tell you to?" I reasoned as I put the bags away under the sink to be used for another time, dusting off my hands as I stood up.

"You're really rude, you know that right?"

"So are you." I answered, placing my hands on my hips. I'd been living with these brothers long enough to have gained some confidence with talking to people and I wasn't about to just stand here and take that attitude of his. I'm not that small. "Tell you what, if you start treating people the way they deserve to be treated then maybe you'll get the same back. See how that works out for you."

With the last of the stuff put away I stepped out of the kitchen, leaving a slightly bewildered Futo behind as I head towards my room to do some studying. I felt a little guilty for how I'd acted but the small stubborn voice in my head told me that Futo deserved what he got. A reality check and a wakeup call. My studying successfully distracted me until I realised it was almost eleven at night and I realised I was hungry so I went out in search of food.

I found Ukyo in the living room reading a newspaper but he smiled to me when he saw me. "Hey there, I've been wondering where you got to. Were you in your room this whole time?" He asked and I nodded my head with a hand against my stomach.

"Yeah, I was working on a few things and I just lost track of time." I admitted. "I was just going to get myself some coffee and something to eat, do you want something?" I offered but Ukyo stood up and folded his paper away.

"You sit down and have a rest, I'll make you something to eat, don't worry about it." He assured me, stopping by a cupboard and came back to me with a blanket which he wrapped around my shoulders. "Make sure you keep warm, it's important to stay healthy when you're studying to ensure you're always working at your best." He informed me and I smiled, snuggling deeper into the soft blanket for comfort.

"Thank you, I'll be sure to remember that." I promised before going to sit down and I curled up on the sofa, closing my eyes for a few minutes but I soon found myself dozing, only partially awake when someone else came home however I could just about make out their voices as I drifted in and out of sleep.

"Hey, is Rikona okay? How long has she been asleep like that?" Tsubaki questioned quietly and I felt a weight sink into the sofa near my head before a hand began to carefully and tenderly stroke through the tresses of my hair.

"She's so cute, like a little fairy." Kaname's voice chuckled richly with mirth as his fingers played with my hair. "We have the most adorable little sister."

"Leave her alone Kaname, she's obviously tired and needs some peace and quiet." Azusa scolded his older brother and I felt the hand being forcibly pulled away though I stirred, giving a sleepy squeak as I began to wake up properly and I felt everyone in the room tense, holding their breath before I gave up and settled down again, my eyes refusing to open. "See? You almost woke her up."

"I think that was more your fault Azusa, maybe she liked me playing with her hair. Don't you remember she told us once that she liked it when people stroked her hair?" Kaname reminded Azusa who couldn't come up with a suitable retort.

"Should we carry her back to her room?" Tsubaki questioned as Ukyo approached.

"I don't know, it might be an idea to actually wake her. I'm pretty sure she hasn't eaten much all day and she's been working hard, she needs proper nourishment." From then on I wasn't too sure about what was being said as I felt myself slip back into sleep but I was pretty sure they were arguing over whether or not they should wake me up.

Eventually their whispered argument was enough to wake me so I sat up, rubbing my eyes blearily before looking around to see my older brothers all looking down at me with soft smiles. "Hey everyone, did you all have a good day?" I asked them out of habit as I swung my legs off the couch to sit upright.

"Sure, it was alright I guess. All the better for seeing you though little lady." Kaname said teasingly so I shook my head at him before I stood up, pulling the blanket around me so that I was wrapped up in its warmth.

"You sure you're okay? You still look rather tired." Azusa fussed kindly, reaching out and checking my temperature.

"I'm fine, I guess I've just been working a little too hard with my studies for those entrance exams. It's amazing how caught up you can get when you're in the flow." I noted before I struggled with a yawn, hiding my mouth behind my hand before I lifted my head and smelled the delicious scent on the air. "Wow, that smells good."

"It's ready for you to eat if you're still hungry." Ukyo offered and my stomach gave a loud rumble, making me blush in embarrassment as everyone else laughed at my expense, a small smile playing on my lips as I ducked my head.

"That would be great, thank you Ukyo." I accepted gratefully before sitting down at the table to eat. I was still tired and I barely managed to finish my food before I found my head bobbing up and down sleepily, struggling to keep awake.

"I think it's time someone went to bed." Ukyo mused as I rubbed my eyes and carried my plate back to the kitchen.

"You want me to carry you?" Tsubaki offered but I turned a smile back at him over my shoulder as I left the dish in the sink to soak then put the blanket away.

"No thanks, I'm sure I'll manage." I assured him. "Goodnight everyone, sleep well."

"You too, don't worry about waking up early tomorrow, sleep as long as you like." Azusa said to me and I nodded my head as Kaname gave me a wink.

"I will."

"And if you need someone to hold you while you sleep, you know where to find me little sis." Kaname added, making me chuckle softly as I placed my hand on the banister.

"I'll be sure to let you know." I assured him before turning and climbing up the stairs, not noticing how everyone seemed to watch me leave until I was out of sight.


	4. Chapter 4

It was nearing the date of my father's wedding to Miss Miwa and a package had arrived for me along with the fourth son of the Asahina family, Hikaru. I had been a little confused when I had seen him as he was dressed like a woman, with makeup and heels to complete the look. He was rather charismatic and once I got talking to him, I liked him a lot. That meant that there was now only one brother I hadn't been introduced to but he was apparently always busy so I hadn't had a chance yet.

The package contained a dress and shoes to wear to the wedding with matching accessories which I couldn't wait to wear as they looked really pretty and perfect for me. The dress was a pale purple with a pink sash around my waist which tied into a bow at my hip, coming down to my knees in a sweet gown that drew out the violet of my eyes.

I tried it on then went down to the living room to show everyone as they'd requested, Hikaru sitting on the top of the sofa with a glass of wine in his hand as I timidly stepped off the stairs and stood in the middle of the living room. "Um…how does it look?" I asked and everyone looked up from what they were doing. By their reaction it was either really good or really bad seeing as they just stared at me.

Wataru was the first to snap to his senses, grinning at me brightly. "You look amazing sis! That dress looks really cute on you." He complimented and I looked down at it with worry, self consciously tugging on the skirt to pull it down a little further. The bow gathered under my chest to let the floating skirt flare outward slightly, giving my chest a more rounded appearance than it already had with the square neckline only just revealing the crease with capped sleeves that fell loosely around my shoulders in the same light material as the skirt.

"You think so?"

"I'm certain I've never seen anyone prettier than you little sis." Kaname told me with a wink, making me blush slightly as I awkwardly stood with one hand behind my back, the other rising to tuck my hair behind my ear.

"You clean up rather well little lady, now if we just add a little makeup and let Louis style your hair then the look would be complete." Hikaru noted with a swirl of his wine before taking a sip, eyeing me rather closely as if he were contemplating something or formulating some kind of plan in his mind.

"Don't be stupid, she doesn't need any makeup." Azusa dismissed with Tsubaki nodding in agreement.

"And her hair looks perfect just the way it is. I'm not sure why but the slightly wild look is rather appealing. It contrasts with the cute innocence of her face." Something told me that Tsubaki was being a bit flirtatious there but I put it down to his nature. He seemed to be a very overly friendly kind of guy and he never overstepped the mark so I didn't mind it so much.

"Are you guys just going to sit there and like, stare at her or are you going to say something?" Louis asked the others who were still rather shocked by my transformation. I know I never wore a dress before, usually sticking to baggy jumpers and jeans but they didn't need to look so shocked to find that I actually looked like a girl.

"You look lovely, Rikona." Ukyo complimented and Iori nodded his head in agreement.

"Like a fragrant violet." He said as Yusuke blushed deeply and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah. Right…you look good." I smiled to them both in thanks as Subaru stumbled on his words a little, blushing just like his red haired brother.

"Um. The dress is really nice. On you. You look nice." He offered and I chuckled slightly at his bashfulness.

"Thank you Subaru."

"You look very fetching Rikona, our mother made a smart decision with the outfit." Masaomi assured me so I gave a blushing smile to them all, feeling a lot more relaxed. As I looked at them I realised that almost everyone was here. Masaomi, Ukyo, Kaname, Hikaru, Tsubaki and Azusa, Iori, Louis, Subaru, Yusuke and Wataru. Almost everyone was here. Futo hadn't stayed long the other day, remaining for dinner where he commented that the meal was actually halfway decent before strolling away to bed where he vanished the next morning. Apparently I wouldn't see him again until the wedding due to a tour he was heading out on.

The last of the brothers was the only one I hadn't met yet, Natsume. They hadn't told me very much about him and I didn't like to pester them so all I knew was that he owned a video game company and that he lives in his own place. I expected that the first time I'd meet him would most possibly be on the wedding day, however when the door swung open and shut from the balcony above I turned towards the stairs where a stranger appeared, rubbing his head.

"What's this about needing to talk to me about something important Tsubaki? Couldn't we have just done this over the phone?" The beautiful ginger of his hair caught in the sunlight and I blinked in surprise as his hand slowly dropped from his head and he looked up, instantly locking eyes with mine, violet against deep mauve. Was this…Natsume?

My hand tightened against my chest slightly as I stood there, now feeling utterly ridiculous for being so dressed up. His expression never changed, he just looked at me with a blankness that would be received by any stranger in his brothers' home. "Ah Natsume, you finally made it." Tsubaki said with a grin as he walked over, slinging his arm around my shoulders and drew me close against him. "I lied about the important news, I just thought it was time you met our adorable little sister Rikona." He explained, pinching my cheek and I jerked back slightly in surprise despite him being gently, blushing slightly as I quickly looked down.

"It's nice to meet you." I said rather timidly, even for me. What's wrong with me? Why is my heart pounding like this? Is he really that intimidating that I feel this small in his presence? I'll admit I was nervous when I first met the others but this seems to be blowing everything out of proportion.

"Yeah, hi." He answered before shooting a glare at Tsubaki. "You realise how busy my schedule is? You call me all the way out here just to see some girl in a dress? You're such an idiot Tsubaki." I protest, he doesn't have to make it sound like it's Tsubaki's fault! My blush remained but now I was a little angry, snapping my focus on Natsume as I drew myself up to my full height, which meant I went from barely standing at Tsubaki's chest to firmly standing at Tsubaki's chest.

"I'm sorry to have wasted your time, if you're really that busy then perhaps you shouldn't have even bothered. Tsubaki was just trying to do something nice, so please don't be annoyed with him." I said without even thinking, my fists clenched at my side as Natsume blinked at me in bewilderment. "Now if you will excuse me, I have some important business to attend to. I'm sure being so _busy_ yourself, you'll understand." I shot at Natsume before striding past, ignoring his astounded expression then climbed up the stairs with a graceful stride.

As I reached the balcony I heard Kaname give a laugh, his voice filtering from below as I hesitated a moment. "Since when did our adorable little sister become so sassy? I think you earned that one Natsume." Shaking my head I hurried back to my room to change, returning to my comfortable outfit of jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. I didn't really have anything to do, I just wanted to get away from there and get out of the dress. It was pretty but I didn't particularly like being the centre of attention just for wearing it.

After putting the dress and accessories away neatly I curled up on my bed hugging my fox plush, cheeks still burning red with a flushed embarrassment, listening to the constant pounding of my heart in my chest, the picture of Natsume's eyes swimming before my mind. It was so vivid and detailed that I was partially convinced that I had been dragged back into the living room to the moment when we first met.

"So stupid." I whispered to myself, closing my eyes and shaking my head. I was so stupid. Rude as well. Now I doubt Natsume will ever talk to me again. Wait, why does that bother me so much? I've only just met the guy, I'm just overreacting to it all because I lost my cool a little. Still, I can't get him out of my brain! The way the light was shining on his hair made him look so beautiful, I can still feel me shaking slightly. "Stay calm Rikona, everything's going to be okay." I murmured, sitting up and slapping my cheeks to try and snap some sense into me. "It's just a guy. Just a guy who happens to be very attractive. Just ignore it. Ignore it and it'll go away."

"Rikona?" There was a soft knock on my door before Masaomi had gently called out my name, making me squeak and fall off my bed as I had jerked rather ungracefully. "Are you alright in there?"

"I'm fine!" I answered hurriedly, scrambling to my feet before I opened the door, rubbing my head with a guilty smile. "Just tripped, that's all." I insisted before dropping my hand to my side. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you would mind taking Wataru and Yusuke shopping for stuff for the wedding next week." Masaomi said with a guilty expression rubbing the back of his head. "I've been so busy at the hospital that I haven't had a chance to get them new shoes and ties for their suits. Would you mind terribly helping them out?"

"Oh…sure of course, though I'm not sure I'll be the best person to give advice. My fashion sense is terrible." I admitted as I tugged on my oversized sweatshirt though Masaomi just broadened his smile.

"Hikaru is going with you too so don't worry, Wataru just insists on you going too and I think it'll be good for you to get out and properly take a look around town. You can't shut yourself up here all the time." He told me and I nodded my head in agreement.

"Sure, that sounds like fun." I agreed, steeping back inside to grab my purse and jacket. "Is there anything else that you need from town? I'm sure I could get it for you."

"No I don't need anything but I think maybe Ukyo has some things he needs. I'll check with him and then I'll get back to you." He said, giving another of his warm smiles before it dropped slightly, an apologetic look appearing and I was a little confused for a moment until he reached out and patted my head. "I'm sorry about Natsume, if I'd known Tsubaki had organised all that then I would have warned you a little beforehand. Our brother doesn't tend to get on well with strangers."

"That's alright, I'm really sorry I lost my temper that way, I was so rude." I said, also feeling deeply ashamed and apologetic but Masaomi continued to pat my head affectionately in reassurance.

"Don't worry, it took us all a little by surprise but it was highly entertaining. Natsume gets too used to people doing what he tells them all the time at his company that it's rather refreshing to see someone stand up to him. So try not to worry too much, he'll brush it off and forget about it pretty fast, so there's no need to feel bad." He informed me and at his words I relaxed a little, nodding my head as Masaomi drew back his hand. "Take it easy a little, you've been working hard and not taking proper care of yourself."

"I will, thank you Masaomi." I answered sincerely, giving him a final smile before he left to get ready for his shift at work and I closed my door before pressing my back against it. Suddenly I missed my dad, not having seen him for a few weeks now. He'd call and text but it wasn't the same. I think when I finally see him again at the wedding, I'll end up just throwing my arms around him and holding him tight. I hope Miwa won't mind.


	5. Chapter 5

"Come on big sis! Let's go look in the toy store! I bet they have all kinds of fun things to try out so let's go already!" Wataru was pulling on my hand with both of his, dragging me towards the store with all the toys and for a little kid, he was pretty strong. I was actually having to wrestle with him in order to make him slow down so that Hikaru and Yusuke could keep up. He was pretty determined to go see these toys but we had a reason for coming to his shopping centre and we couldn't get distracted now otherwise we'll never be able to get what we need.

"Calm down Wataru and please don't pull on my hand so much, you might slip and fall like this." I fussed worriedly, making him stop for a moment as I exhaled. "I know you want to go see all the toys but we're here for a very important reason, remember? We're going to find you and Yusuke some smart ties and shoes for your mother's wedding. Now that's a really special day for all of us, so we need to look our best, right?" I reasoned with him and Wataru thought for a moment just as Hikaru and Yusuke caught up, Yusuke catching his breath where'd he'd run after us whilst Hikaru sauntered up casually in his lady clothes.

"Slow down a little Wataru, you'll get lost in this place if you don't stick close to us. It's really busy!" He said as he crossed his arms across his chest, not particularly enjoying the fact that he had to come shopping on a weekend for clothes and things. "Do I have to be here for this?"

"Of course you do silly, otherwise I'll end up in charge and I'll pick out the shoes and tie you'll hate the most, but at least you'll then be fashionable." Hikaru threatened teasingly whilst shooting a wink at me and I chuckled in return, smiling as Wataru continued to hold onto my hand tightly, looking longingly towards the toy shop so I came up with an idea.

"Well if we still have time after we find everything on our list, we can have a little look at the toy store, right guys?" I suggested and Yusuke looked like he wanted to do anything but. "Or I could go with Wataru whilst you two find something to eat, how does that sound?" Rubbing his head this idea seemed to appeal to Yusuke more.

"Well sure, I guess. I don't have any problem with that."

"Sounds like a marvellous idea. Now, let's find some cute outfits to try on!" Hikaru clapped his hands together and whisked us all away to the clothes store. When I agreed to come on this trip, I didn't expect to be part of the modelling factor however Hikaru soon had piles of clothes for me to try on and was insisting that I try out some new styles, saying that my usual look just didn't suit me at all and that I needed to come out of my shell a little more. I knew he was right but all the same as I stood in my first outfit handpicked by Hikaru, I was blushing furiously and my heart was pounding uncomfortably in my chest. I was almost crying in embarrassment.

"I…I don't think it suits me! I'm sorry!" I squeaked, awkwardly trying to hide myself as I stood in a short pleated navy skirt with a polka dot camisole and a sleeveless denim jacket, leaving my arms and my legs bare and I just couldn't stand the feeling of being so exposed, even though it was completely modest and there was nothing actually wrong with it.

"Don't you look like such a doll?! I think you look very cute Rikona, no need to be so shy!" Hikaru said as he snapped a photo to maybe show the others later and I freaked out a little, drawing back behind the curtain to tug it around me.

"D-Don't do that! Please, this is so…so…" I was struggling to speak as I hid my face in my hand, wanting it all to end however Yusuke came to my rescue by tugging the curtain fully across, indicating I should get changed.

"Leave her alone Hikaru, she's not your doll to dress up and play tea time with! Jeez, you're so weird with all your little hobbies." He said and I exhaled with relief. "Besides I'm bored anyway. Can't we just go find shoes then get out of here?" He requested though Hikaru was upset that he wouldn't get to see me try on all the different dresses and clothes he'd picked out for me. I looked to all the beautiful yet overtly girly clothes as Yusuke argued, Wataru also piping up that he wanted to see me dress up like a princess. I was extremely grateful as Yusuke held his ground whilst I changed back, sliding into my oversized jumper and tugged it close around me before I pulled back the curtains.

"I'm sorry, I'm not used to this sort of thing yet." I admitted as I stepped out, standing beside Yusuke who blushed slightly and looked away, realising that he'd perhaps gone and argued a little too much on my behalf. "I've never done this sort of thing before, but I promise when I'm a little more comfortable then we can come shopping again and I'll try on more clothes for you all." I said, looking down at my feet until I felt Hikaru rub my head affectionately.

"You're too cute Rikona, I'm going to have so much fun dressing you up in clothes to match later." He winked at me again, his feminine features making me feel naturally more comfortable around him as he pinched my cheek gently. "I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable, let me make it up to you sometime, okay?" He offered with a sweet and in my innocence, I did not see the glint of hidden intent in his eyes so I blindly agreed, thinking nothing of it.

"Come on already! I still want to go to the toy store you know." Wataru said impatiently, tugging on my hand once more so I hurriedly returned the items to the lady who was managing the dressing room with a bow of apology for causing her more work to do but she was kind enough to tell me that it was no bother, allowing myself and my three new brothers to leave the shop and go in search of shoes. After a while though, I began to notice that Yusuke was shivering, despite his attempts to hide it.

"Hey Yusuke, are you feeling alright?" I questioned him quietly, not alerting Hikaru and Wataru who were browsing in an aisle ahead of us, Hikaru distracted by a pair of high heeled boots. "You're shivering."

"Oh, right. I'm fine." He answered me shortly, looking away. His reaction made me smile, Yusuke was rather cute when he blushed like that, that's why I was so comfortable around him because I knew he was just as nervous around me as I was around him from time to time. At least now I was better, but I don't think Yusuke was used to having me as a sister yet. Reaching out towards him I placed my hand on his back, making him jump violently in shock as I smiled warmly at him.

"Yusuke, you're really shy aren't you?" I questioned and he spluttered, trying to deny it but he eventually gave up as started to laugh softly. "It's okay, I am too." Feeling that Yusuke was still trembling I reached up a hand to his face, feeling that it was cold despite him being a little sweaty. "You should have worn something warmer, it may be spring but they keep the shops well ventilated here." I informed him with concern as I began to slide off my sweatshirt.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Don't start stripping here!"

"I'm not stripping!" I squeaked, flushing with embarrassment before I hurriedly yanked my jumped over his head, making him yelp in confusion at the sudden darkness before I managed to pull it down over his body, still red cheeked as I stepped back, holding my bare arm as I stood in my nerdy shirt which hung loosely off my shoulders. "It's just, I don't want you to get sick Yusuke, so please do me a favour and wear that, okay? It's a few sizes bigger than me so it should fit you fine." As I spoke Yusuke managed to push his head up into the hood, looking at my flushed face as I tried to avoid looking at him. For a moment Yusuke was silent, standing there as awkwardly as I was until finally he sighed, pushing his arms through the sleeves.

"Okay fine, but only because you asked me too." He specified and immediately I brightened, nodding my head whilst smiling happily.

"Thank you!" Hikaru called us over then and I head over first, complimenting Wataru on his smart shoes which he instantly wanted me to inspect as Hikaru tried on those boots he'd been observing as well. We eventually managed to persuade Yusuke into trying a few pairs before he settled on ones that he thought were decent enough, which meant the moment the purchase was made Wataru was pulling on my hand dragging me out the shop in excitement.

"Come on! Come on let's go!" He demanded however when Yusuke started to sneeze, Hikaru made Wataru stop as Yusuke groaned, dropping down onto a bench whilst rubbing his head. "Hey Yusuke what's the matter? Does your stomach hurt?" Wataru asked, noticing as well as I did that Yusuke really didn't look too good. Was he really getting sick?

"I'll be fine Wataru, I just need to sit for a while. Jeez, I really hate shopping." He muttered however Hikaru had stuck his hand against Yusuke's brow perhaps with a little more force that what was necessary, Hikaru hummed in thought.

"You really don't look so good. Maybe we should just go home so you can go to bed and get some rest." Hikaru suggested and I could feel Wataru's disappointment beside me. I didn't want Wataru to be sad but Yusuke really needed to go home right now. To be fair, I had promised Wataru that we would go look at the toys, so was it fair of me to break that promise?

"If you want to take Yusuke home, Hikaru, I don't mind staying with Wataru to look in the toy store." I said with a smile, giving Wataru's hand a little squeeze. "I'd like to look around a little longer, if that's alright with you." Hikaru blinked in surprise, tilting his head slightly.

"Well I suppose, but how would you get home? Do you want me to ask Masaomi or someone to come get you both?" He offered but I shook my head, pulling my small wallet out of my back pocket which was attached to a chain to keep it from falling or being stolen.

"I have some money so I'll just get a taxi. We won't be that long, will we Wataru?"

"No we won't be late home! _Please_ Hikaru? Big sis will take good care of me, so can I please go to the toy store?" Hikaru frowned in thought, glancing to Yusuke who waved a hand dismissively, saying that if Wataru wanted to go then it wasn't a bother so finally Hikaru nodded his consent, warning Wataru to behave himself and not wander off as Hikaru then forced Yusuke back to his feet, pulling an arm over his neck before carting him off. Wataru and I waved them goodbye however the moment they were a few feet away, Wataru was once more dragging me. "Come on let's go!"

"Okay Wataru but slow down!" I laughed, smiling freely as my little brother excitedly pulled me towards the toy store. "The toys aren't going anywhere." Wataru soon became immersed with all the wonderful and amazing toys, jumping from aisle to aisle pointing out the things that he liked and telling me the kind of things he wanted for Christmas, even though it was only just spring. When certain things were too high up for him to reach I either brought it down for him or lifted him up to reach, the two of us grinning at one another. Someone had set up a bubble machine which sent out a constant stream of bubbles which Wataru enjoyed catching and chasing.

Before I knew it almost two hours had gone by and I had to tell Wataru that it was time to go otherwise we'd miss dinner. Although he was disappointed to leave, he did admit he was rather hungry. "Anyway it's like you said big sis, the store isn't going anywhere so I can just come back with you any time we want, right?" I nodded my head, taking his hand in mine so that we wouldn't get separated.

"That's right Wataru, that's a very mature and sensible way to think about it." I told him and he seemed to glow at my words, skipping along next to me as we left the shopping centre and headed out onto the pedestrian street to head towards the where the taxis always parked.

"Hey look big sis, they're selling cotton candy over there." Wataru pointed with interest and I looked up. I haven't had candy floss in a long time and I had to admit, it looked and smelled delicious. You could smell the sugar even from all the way over here. "Do you think if we got some for Yusuke he'd feel a little better? He won't admit it, but he really likes sweet things just like me!"

"Well, if nothing else I'm sure he'll appreciate the gesture. Hang on a moment, let me check how much money I have with me." I said to him, pulling out my wallet and began to count up what I had. I definitely had enough for the taxi, so we went over to the stall to see their prices and I did some quick calculations in my head. Unfortunately I didn't have enough for three separate bags, only two, so it looks like I'll have to miss out on this occasion. Never mind, I'm sure they'll be back again some other time. "You're in luck Wataru, looks like we have enough to buy Yusuke some cotton candy and one for you too." I informed him and I felt my heart warming at that bright and eager smile as Wataru celebrated.

We bought some cotton candy in a bag for Yusuke whilst Wataru got his in a cone, the large mass of pink fluff which he bit into happily, licking his lips as he tried to hold my hand at the same time. "If you need to use your fingers Wataru, I'm sure we'll be alright if you just walk close to me. It's not so busy anymore." I suggested and he looked up at me before nodding, letting go of my hand and began to indulge himself in the sticky sweetness. I smiled down at him, not looking where we were going however when I looked up, it was too late for me to see the man who was directly in our path. "Wataru!" I grabbed him quickly and pulled him out the way, however in my clumsy movements Wataru's cotton candy had jerked forwards and brushed against the man's extremely smart and rather expensive looking jeans.

Instantly cold eyes snapped onto us and I squeaked, a shooting sensation rushing up my spine. "You kids ruined my clothes." He growled, looking down to the sticky imprint Wataru had left behind as he gulped, retreating back towards me and instinctively gripped into my hand. "You going to pay for this or what? Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners?"

"We're…we're sorry…." I stuttered, beginning to tremble slightly and Wataru blinked up at me as I couldn't even look the stranger in the eyes.

"Well sorry just isn't going to cut it! Do you have any idea how much these cost? You're going to have to find a way to pay me back for this or I'll take it out on you personally!" His voice rose and I instantly fell silent, my voice becoming lost due to the confrontation. This man was scary, he looked like some kind of mob boss and he was getting really close to my face and I wanted to cry out and scream but something pushed back all sound, that it until I heard Wataru yelling back at the stranger.

"Leave my big sis alone! You're scaring her!"

"Shut up you little brat!" When I forced my eyes open to see what was happening, all I got was a brief moment before my body reacted. A heavy hand was swiping down towards Wataru, aiming to hit him out of arrogant anger and a huge flare of protectiveness and adrenaline swept through me, making me fling my body down to the side as I held out my arm, pushing my body in front of Wataru to shield him.

"Please no!" I begged but instead the hand slapped me instead, leaving a heavy red print into my cheek as I gasped, the stinging pain making tears rise to my face as the other hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of my shirt, lifted me off the ground as the stranger growled.

"Stay out of my way girl. I'm going to teach you brats some respect." In the middle of the public he was acting as if he owned the place and we were nothing but vermin, how could he do this?! As my body fell into shock I was tossed aside and too the ground, Wataru crying out and rushing to me as I fell on my hand and my wrist instantly tore up with pain as I crumbled, hair slipping loose from its side knot in the alteration.

"Sis! Sis are you okay?" I was gasping for air, struggling to breathe from the shock of being struck and I could still feel the warmth pooling at my face from where his heavy hand had struck. How could he intend to hit a child like that, or even a woman? There truly were some nasty people in the world, my mind was barely able to process what had happened.

"Bratty kids." The stranger turned around and began to walk away, intending to just leave us like that however I heard pounding footsteps and as I dazedly stared into the distance, a rush of movement flit past me and I saw a tall person suddenly grab our attacked by the arm, whirling him back around as he protested in confusion, only to have his words cut off with a heavy fisted blow directly to his gut, doubling him over. My eyes widened, staring at the bright gingery redness that flickered softly under the sunlight and instantly I knew who it was. Natsume stood upright again, fixing his watch on his wrist as he looked down at the gasping stranger.

"People like you make me sick, picking on a couple of kids." Natsume's voice struck every chord in my body as I stared, watching as he kicked the stranger aside and let him fall to the ground still groaning in pain. With a turn Natsume instantly turned back to us, lowering himself down on one knee as I continued to blindly stare ahead of me.

"Nice going Natsume! We're lucky you were here otherwise big sis would have been in real trouble. Is she going to be okay?" Natsume frowned slightly, reaching out and brushed back my hair with gentle fingers to inspect my cheek before then snapping his fingers in front of my face but I didn't react, still too bewildered as to everything that had happened. It all went by so fast my mind was still reeling.

"She's in shock. Wataru, give me some of that cotton candy." Natsume instructed and Wataru immediately pulled off a chunk, letting Natsume take it from him and he gently opened my mouth before placing the sugary sweetness onto my tongue, his other hand resting on the top of my head and slowly, I began to focus on that weight. My mouth closed and I felt the fluffy candy melt in my mouth, making me feel a little calmer as I exhaled, the tight feeling in my chest still not disappearing but at least now I could focus. "You're alright now, it's all over." His face was calm though a little reserved, not showing much emotion even as I felt the prickling tears beginning to grow larger before they dripped down my face. "Did you hurt your wrist? Let me see." The moment he made to touch my wrist who I was unconsciously holding tentatively, I pulled it back, shaking my head as I began to cry weakly.

"Don't…don't touch…"

"Hey calm down big sis, there's nothing to be afraid of now that Natsume's here. Just think of something that makes you happy and it'll all feel better in no time." Wataru instructed me and I tried my best, I really did but I could stop the tears even as I pictured my dad in my mind. It only made me miss him more.

"She's still in shock, I better take you two home." Natsume sighed before suddenly pulled my head towards him, arm curling around me as he let me cry into his shoulder, making me stiffen and my eyes flew open in shock as he pulled out his phone and dialled a number. "Yeah, I'm not going to make the meeting, something else came up. Yeah, okay. See you." With that he snapped his phone shut and tucked it into his pocket, giving a nod to Wataru who was rubbing my back comfortingly. "Come on, let's get you up." Slowly Natsume helped me rise to my feet, Wataru watching anxiously even as my legs trembled.

I want to go home. I just want to crawl into bed and hide under the covers and not ever come out again. If my dad were here, I'd probably run to his arms and just sob my heart out right there. Before I knew what was happening Natsume and Wataru had both led me to Natsume's car where he strapped me in and drove us home. By that point I was able to walk but I wandered a little aimlessly, unsure of what to do. That guy had tried to hit Wataru, why would he do that? Wataru was such a cute kid. Who'd ever want to hurt him?

"Hey! Where were you guys? We were starting to get worried." Tsubaki called out however I drifted past him like a ghost, not hearing a word he said as I walked unconsciously towards my room. "Rikona? Hey what happened?! Natsume, why are you here?"

"Some rude guy attacked us in the street when I accidentally bumped into him with my cotton candy then he tried to hit me when I yelled back at him, but then big sis jumped in the way!" Wataru blabbed all at once as everyone came running having heard Tsubaki trying to call out to me. "She was so brave, but now her face is all red and bruising and she hurt her wrist!" Wataru pointed and someone gripped my shoulders, trying to wake me up a little but I was in such a daze, it felt like I was encased in an impenetrable bubble, blocking out all noises around me except for that of my own hammering heart.

"Hey, hey Rikona! Rikki come on, this isn't funny. Hey!" Kaname was shaking me however the moment Masaomi drew him back to try and get a closer look, I continued walking. I couldn't face them now, I felt so ashamed. If Wataru had gotten hurt today then it would have been all my fault, and now I was being nothing more than a burden to them. They worried so much when I was only a stranger in their home. Besides, I think right now I just need to be alone, I need to get my head straight and try and calm down for a while and I couldn't do that with so many people crowding around me, all calling out and getting too close.

When I reached my room I didn't release the breath I had been holding until I had closed and locked my door, sliding down against it where I trembled, more tears slipping free as I gripped onto my throbbing wrist. Was it broken? It didn't look broken, it's probably just a sprain. All the same it was swelling and I needed to deal with it now so I went into my bathroom where I kept a small medical kit with various items inside. First I dampened my face cloth with cold water, wringing it out and wrapping it around my wrist to reduce the swelling, splashing my face with the same water as the heavy mark continued to paint itself onto my skin.

As I gazed at my reflection I realised that tears were still clinging to my lashes like dewdrops on flowers, so I wiped them away. I hope the mark leaves before the wedding, otherwise I'll have to ask Hikaru for advice on how to cover it up. Once the pain had subsided a little I bandaged up my wrist, many years of tending to my own injuries coming into practice as I tied the knot then tightened it with my teeth. Once that was done I added a cream to my face to try and reduce the bruising. After that I curled up on my bed, sighing heavily as I tried my best to stop shaking. I just couldn't stop trembling and my heart was racing. That had been so terrifying, it was just a small accident but that guy had treated it like the end of the world. I swear I'll never allow myself to become like that.

Slowly my eyes began to slide shut, overcome by weariness even though it was still the afternoon. I probably shouldn't sleep now otherwise I'll wake up later and not be tired, besides everyone must be worried about me. I should go and tell them that I'm alright, even if I have to force the smile onto my face. Still, it seems that my body was determined to succumb to the exhaustion that today had put on me and soon enough, I'd fallen asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

My cell was what woke me up, flashing brightly and I groaned, feeling a little sluggish but I reached out and picked it up, looking to see that I had over twenty texts from numerous people. Oh no, I'd missed several calls too, they were all from the guys asking me if I was alright and whether I needed anything. It was late now but I think some of them should still be up, I'd better go and apologise for being so selfish and making them worry. Putting my phone back down I got up, looking to my bandaged wrist again to make sure it was secure before I headed upstairs.

I took the elevator as I wasn't feeling up to the stairs, however as I began to move towards the living room down the stairs, I heard a sudden rush of feet and I looked up in time to see Wataru running directly at me. "Big sis!" His arms were spread wide and he leaped onto me to tackle me around the middle even as Ukyo and Masaomi called him to be careful and gentle with me, however Wataru continued to hold onto me tightly. "Big sis we were so worried! Are you okay now? Do you feel funny still?" He demanded to know though his voice was muffled as he didn't lift his face away from my shirt as I looked down at him in alarm. He was holding me so tightly and that face, it looked like he was close to tears.

"Wataru…" I murmured before letting my arms rest around him, sniffling again as emotions swelled to my throat and made it difficult for me to swallow. "I'm so sorry Wataru, I didn't mean to make you worry!" I cracked, dropping down to my knees and clung onto him tightly as I once again struggled to breathe. "But I'm better now, I promise I won't let anything like that ever happen to you again. I promise." When I eventually looked up I realised that everyone had waited up for me, though instead of looking worried they were now relaxed and smiling, trying to reassure me. "I'm sorry everyone, I'm really sorry."

"You've got nothing to apologise for, so just take it easy." Masaomi said as he knelt down and held out his hand. "Now, how about you let me look at that wrist of yours?" He suggested and I sniffed, wiping away my tears before I nodded, letting him help me to my feet and lead me to the sofa to sit me down. Ukyo made me some refreshing tea whilst Tsubaki told me how cute I'd looked cuddling Wataru whilst Azusa quipped at him for being insensitive again.

"Damn it, if only I hadn't let Hikaru drag me home then none of this would never have happened." Yusuke said whilst looking worriedly pale. "I'm sorry Rikona, I promise next time I'll be there to beat the crap out of anyone who even looks at you wrong!" He vowed before coughing rather violently, making me sit up straighter with worry.

"That's enough out of you, go to bed and stop spreading your germs. You too Wataru." Hikaru instructed though Wataru protested, stubbornly refusing to leave my side so I reached out and kissed his forehead, making everyone in the room freeze and stare as Wataru blinked in surprise, feeling my lips against his skin as I rested my hand on the top of his head, stroking back his hair.

"Hey Wataru, with my hand like this, I'm going to need a lot of help tomorrow, I so I need you to be well rested to be ready for a big day. Can you do that for me?" I asked and instantly Wataru was nodding his head, proudly puffing out his chest.

"You can leave it all to me big sis! I'll do all your chores so you can just rest and let your wrist get better. Goodnight everyone!" He suddenly called before sprinting off to bed, racing past Yusuke who reluctantly left to go and get some rest. Ukyo placed a mug of tea in front of me, encouraging me to drink it however as I reached out Kaname lifted the mug off the coffee table.

"Here, allow me little lady." Kaname offered sweetly as he blew away the steam to cool down the mug whilst Iori placed a blanket around my shoulders. All their kindness was a little overwhelming but I relaxed into the atmosphere that they all brought, Tsubaki leaning against the sofa behind me whilst tugging gently on my hair. I tried to take the mug from Kaname with my hands but he gently rested his fingers against the top of my hand. "You rest that hand of yours, can't have you straining yourself now can we?"

"I'm alright, really. I can manage with just the one hand for now but thank you all for being so kind. I feel a little guilty." I admitted, smiling a little shyly as Kaname touched the rim of the mug to my lips and carefully let me take a sip though I looked away in embarrassment.

"Don't sweat it Kona, it's been like, a super hard day for you so you should totally just take it easy for a while." Louis said to me with Azusa nodding his head in agreement.

"Yes I agree. We're all a little upset that you had to go through this, but we're here to look after you as well." He told me as he stood on my other side behind the sofa, leaning his back against it with his arms folded, but he was smiling softly at me as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. "It's our job as your guardians and your brothers to keep you safe, so we're all just a little agitated that we weren't there exactly when you needed us."

"Well, that's not exactly true. I mean, Natsume was kind enough to step in for Wataru and I, right?" I reasoned, thinking to how quickly he'd rushed to protect his little brother. It was very brave of him and we were lucky that he'd happened to be walking by. Although that guy had been leaving, I don't know if I would have managed to get Wataru home safely if Natsume wasn't there to take over. I was so useless and completely in a mess, poor Wataru. He must have been so shaken to see me like that and have to watch all that happen, I'll make it up to him tomorrow. That makes me think, where is Natsume? I never got the chance to thank him properly.

"I guess but still, if anyone's going to be rescuing my cute little sister I'd rather it be me." Tsubaki said teasingly as he continued to play with my hair as I took a sip of tea from the mug which I'd managed to claim from Kaname.

"Are you sure you're alright, Rikona?" Iori asked me with concern as Masaomi returned with something for my face to help clear up the bruising and swelling. I must look awful, this is all so embarrassing.

"Yes I'm alright now. I was just a little shocked and frightened, I've never been hit by anyone before." I admitted as Masaomi carefully felt my wrist, searching for any signs of breakages but he concluded that it was just a sprain, though he offered to take me to the hospital for an X-ray just to be sure, but I said that it didn't hurt when I kept it still so I would be fine. Sprains will heal and didn't really require nurses and doctors to waste their precious time. Besides, I'd be more comfortable at home. With the warm tea spreading its comfort from my stomach to my body and Tsubaki stroking through my hair, I found my eyes gradually slipping closed again. Just a few moments ago I hadn't felt tired, these guys really did know how to look out for one another.

It was nice to know that they were looking after me too, something I'd never really had before. Gradually my head leaned back against the sofa, my breathing deepened as a gentle hush washed over everyone and I could feel their comforting presence close to me as the blanket was drawn closer around me, keeping me warm and secure. It was really nice to have so many brothers. I'm lucky to have them.


	7. Chapter 7

When the weekend came to an end everyone in the Asahina family had heard what happened. Subaru had leaped out of his chair when Tsubaki had mentioned it at breakfast yelling in shock just as I walked down from a restful sleep. Someone had carried me back to bed and tucked me in. I smiled, they had even placed one of my plushies in with me to cuddle, it was cute of them. "H-Hey! Are you okay? I just heard, are you sure you're alright to be up and about?" Subaru questioned me with deeply concerned eyes as I rubbed my face, still waking up and I blinked at him sleepily before smiling at him in reassurance.

"I'm fine, everyone took such great care of me that there's really no need to worry. I'm very grateful to you all." I said whilst giving a bow.

"Now don't be like that, of course we'd look after you. You're our adorable little sister." Tsubaki reminded me and I smiled, happy to hear him say such a thing. I'm glad they've accepted me so fast, I'll admit it was a huge worry when I first came here but they're all so nice, there really was no reason for me to worry at all.

"Still, don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Subaru continued to fuss as he collected his bag and walked towards me, blushing slightly as he glanced away but then he took a deep breath and looked me directly in the eyes. To my understanding, this was the first time he'd ever properly looked at me and spoken to me. I'm so glad, I guess he's another shy one just like Yusuke. They're all so cute. "And if anything ever happens or you need to talk, I'll be around. Or…whatever…" He trailed off, quickly turning his head as he shifted awkwardly.

"Thank you Subaru, that really means a lot." I told him, lifting my hands up to my chest as I dipped my head to him. "Please, don't be so nervous around me anymore, I don't bite." I teased him a little, making him look to me in surprise as I held his gaze. "I'm still a little nervous and shy myself, but I'm confident we'll all get along, so let's do our best, okay?"

"Yeah…okay." He agreed, managing to give me a small smile before he passed to go to his gym session for basketball. Everyone in the family were all so talented and professional, I feel a little lame not having anything of a career set in place. I'm almost twenty and I still haven't figured out what I want to do with my life. Turning around I greeted everyone with a good morning, Wataru beaming and asking that I sit next to him so I agreed, going to fix myself some breakfast but Masaomi insisted I allowed him to do it, telling me to relax for today.

They didn't exactly pamper me like a destitute princess, but they continued to try and do everything that I would usually do for myself, even if it was making a drink. I guess this was their way of showing me that they worried for me and wanted to make sure that I was well taken care of. At least my dad doesn't have to worry about me being lonely or isolated here, it must be a huge weight off his mind. Will I have to tell him what happened? I don't want to alarm him so close to the wedding and his business overseas is very important to him. If I told him about the incident, he might insist on coming home like the last time I had an accident and broke my arm. He flew right home to be by my side. True, he wasn't always there, but he was there when I needed him most and that's all that matters.

Being a Sunday most of the family were home, however I was hugely surprised when Futo himself came striding in, glancing around the room before he saw me sitting down on one of the dining chairs by the window, writing a poem about taking new turns in life. "So I heard you got beat up by some thug yesterday. Well, let's have a look at you." Futo announced as he approached, making everyone in the room lift their heads.

"Oh hey Futo's back." Wataru noted as his older brother stopped before me and I lifted my head, blinking in surprise as he gripped my face in a firm grip to tilt it to the side, exposing the area that was still darkened by bruises.

"Jeez, some guys just don't have any class." He exhaled, frowning slightly.

"Futo, be gentle with her." Ukyo warned as I continued to stare at Futo blankly. Why had he come home? I thought he was preparing for a gig across town soon. Had he come all the way back just because he'd heard I'd been hurt?

"She's not a doll so she won't break that easy." Futo answered simply before he then noticed my hand wrapped securely in a bandage. "You probably did that yourself, you're clumsy aren't you?"

"Don't be a jerk Futo. Can't you just say get better soon like normal people?" Azusa questioned in disapproval though Futo waved his hand dismissively, trying to play it cool but I could read his face. I may have only met him once before but I have a fairly decent sense for the kind of person he was. He had been worried, I could see the creases near his eyes and the slight strain his voice as he spoke. Maybe me giving him a scolding had left an impression on him, all the same, I was touched that he had come all this way for me. Perhaps he wasn't such a spoiled kid at all, more so he was just largely lonely and put up a front in order to keep his distance from people so that he wouldn't inevitably get hurt. As the brothers all began to argue I couldn't help but begin to chuckle until slowly, I started to laugh. I don't know what came over me but I couldn't help myself so I covered my mouth with my hand in an attempt to hide it, however Futo noticed and turned around, frowning at me.

"Why're you laughing? Is something funny to you or something?" He demanded to know so I lifted my gaze, looking at him with newfound affection as I placed my poetry book in my lap and leaned my head to the side slightly, resting it against the back of the chair as Futo stood over me in a lax stance.

"I'm sorry, it's just you look so cute when you're worried." This made him stumble, stuttering for words however Tsubaki started laughing, amused by how Futo was left speechless and several smirks were shared around between the brothers as I cleared my throat, sweeping away my laughter as not to irritate him. "But thank you Futo, you're very thoughtful. I'm happy you're here." I told him honestly and for the first time, I saw his façade drop slightly as his hand jumped to his mouth as if to keep himself from coughing, a slight tinge of pink touching his cheeks as he tried to brush it off.

"Well, I was in the neighbourhood anyway and I left some things here that I needed." He tried to excuse but I knew better and as he looked down at my still smiling face, he knew that he wasn't fooling me. "Just…get better soon otherwise you'll just put a damper on everyone's mood." I nodded my head, promising him that I would do so however as he turned to leave, he noticed that I was holding a notebook in my hands. "Hey, are you writing song lyrics or something?" Instantly interested, he moved closer but I turned the book away from him, reluctant to let anyone read them.

"No they're poems. I don't think these would be any good for songs, they're mostly speculations and things like that. You wouldn't find it interesting." I tried to brush it off but Futo seemed determined as he reached out so I hid the book a little further, not wanting him to read them.

"Come on, I came all this way and you're not going to let me see just a few words scribbled on a page? Pretty selfish if you ask me." He tried guilt tripping me into letting him see them but I could be stubborn when I wanted to be so I shook my head, giving him a firm look. Or at least I tried to, eventually I couldn't maintain his gaze and I looked away.

"These poems are very private to me. It would be like you trying to read my diary. Something so personal is not a thing you should share lightly, a lot of time and effort has been put into the meaning of each word and each thought has been carefully articulated. I can't just let anyone read them, only my dad has ever read one of my poems and that was just a handful of times." I tried to explain, gripping my book tightly against me as I stood to face Futo, taking a deep breath before lifting my head to look at him.

He was regarding me thoughtfully, a slight smirk on his lips as he then gave a solitary laugh. "Alright then, if that's the case then there's a simple solution." He reasoned, making me frown slightly however before I could react, he'd leaned forwards and kissed my bruised cheek delicately, like the brush of a petal against my skin before drawing back slightly to speak in a hushed voice. "I'll just have to make you like me enough to read them." I was surprised by his actions and I stood there in shock, unsure of how to react or respond as Yusuke yelled from where he was lying on the sofa, sitting bolt upright despite his temperature.

"I saw that Futo you jerk! Don't be such a creep!" He said before falling back with a groan, rubbing his head.

"I don't know what you're talking about. My big sister and I were just having a nice conversation. Right sis?" He said, giving me a sly wink as he began to walk away. "I have to get going, I'll see you losers some other time." Futo sure was something else. I didn't expect that from him, or for him to even be interested in my poems. For all her knew they could be terrible or just not to his taste. Poetry isn't for everyone, it was just something I enjoyed doing from time to time.

"Hey big sis, will you come play a videogame with me?" Wataru asked, tugging at my sleeve and I blinked myself awake before looking down at Wataru and nodding my head.

"Sure Wataru, of course I can." Yusuke insisted on watching us play so he came to my room to sit back and observe as Wataru picked out which game we played. I think Yusuke was still worried about me, I noticed he'd been keeping a close eye on how I was dealing with things but honestly, I was more worried about him because he was beginning to get worse. He was pale and clammy and he kept on touching his head as if it hurt or he was dizzy, so when he crumpled on my bed I was immediately standing up and checking his temperature. "Wataru, I need you to go get Ukyo and tell him Yusuke's gotten worse." I instructed and Wataru leaped up, nodding his head.

"Leave it to me! Hey Ukyo! Ukyo!" Wataru yelled as he dashed off, leaving me with Yusuke as he groaned, tossing and turning.

"This sucks…why does everything hurt?" He complained so I dimmed the light in the room by closing the curtains and turning off the game console so that there wasn't so much of a glare. Slowly I managed to sit him upright and took off his jacket and shirt, shifting him so that he was laying comfortably on my bed. I pulled my covers over him to keep him warm before I hurriedly fetched my face cloth, making it cold and damp before I began to wipe away the sweat from his face, neck and shoulders, hushing him gently.

"It's alright Yusuke, just rest and get better. It's a mild fever but we don't want it getting any worse, right?" I said to him as Wataru returned with Ukyo, Tsubaki and Azusa in tow.

"How is he doing?" Ukyo questioned, coming over and checking his temperature as well as I sat beside him on the bed, Wataru also coming forwards with an anxious face.

"His temperature is worse than it was this morning but it doesn't appear to be anything more than a fever. I think it might be the flu or something, though we won't be able to tell unless a doctor examines him." I answered, placing the cloth over his head as Yusuke breathed deeply, face strained in sleep as if he were in pain.

"Well this just keeps on getting more and more interesting. To think he'd finally collapse and just so happen to be in your bed, Rikki." I blinked, realising that Tsubaki had called me by another nickname. Rikki, I liked that too, it sounded casual yet friendly.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to, but I don't think we should move him. We don't know exactly what's wrong with him yet." I reasoned quietly, not wanting to disturb Yusuke. "I don't mind him sleeping in my bed tonight, maybe he'll feel a lot better after some rest." Ukyo nodded his head in agreement though he looked a little tense, straightening up and pushing his glasses further up his nose as Azusa did the same. It made me smile inwardly, seeing their familiar habits that they had with each other.

"Rikona is right, if he's comfortable then there's no reason to move him. I'm sorry for inconveniencing you this way, I'm sure Yusuke wouldn't mind if you slept in his room for tonight. I can change the sheets if that would make you feel more comfortable?" He offered but I shook my head, my hand reaching out to sponge off Yusuke's face again.

"It's alright, I'll stay with him and make sure he doesn't get worse during the night. I can sleep on the floor, I have a spare futon which I can use and blankets, so it's no trouble at all. It's the least I can do after you all looking after me so wonderfully yesterday." I answered.

"You're an ocean of kindness, Rikona. We're very lucky to have such a sweet sister like you." Azusa said to me whilst smiling warmly, though I blushed slightly at his words. I didn't mean it in a way to seek compliments, what I said was true. I just want to be useful to them so that I could truly be a part of their family. "But you don't have to do that, you shouldn't make yourself ill on Yusuke's account."

"Though to be fair, having such a pretty girl nurse him back to health would be better than any form of medicine. I'm just a little jealous that little Yusuke will be getting all your attention, Rikki." Tsubaki said and I blushed without smiling, looking away. It wasn't fair when they said things like that, I'm not used to it and I'm not sure yet how to respond, however Azusa gave his brother a knock on the head on my behalf, telling him to knock it off.

"Hey big sis, do I have a temperature?" Wataru asked and I relaxed, chuckling as I checked his forehead against mine, making him smile at me happily.

"You seem to be in perfect health, Wataru, but don't worry. I can always tuck you in if that'll make you feel better." I offered and that instantly made Wataru brighter. Since I insisted, Yusuke was left for me to take care of, the others popping their head around the door every so often, however after I'd tucked Wataru in and kissed him goodnight, it wasn't long after I got back to my room when there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in." When the door opened I looked up to see Iori slipping inside quietly. "Iori, hey. Don't you have an early lecture tomorrow? You should really get some rest." I said to him but he just smiled warmly.

"I'm going to my room next, I just wanted to bring you something." He said before placing a small vase of flowers on my desk. "I meant to give them to you yesterday after I heard what happened, but I didn't want to disturb you." He said to me, pulling back his hands to reveal a small cluster of sunflowers which brightened the room despite it being a little dark. "I thought they might cheer you up a little."

"They're lovely Iori, thank you that's so sweet of you." I was touched by the gesture. "Do you like flowers then? They're so neatly arranged, did you do this yourself?" He nodded his head, coming a little closer to glance over Yusuke to see how he was doing. He'd settled down a bit and wasn't tossing so much for now.

"I take care of the flowerbeds outside, so gardening has become something of a hobby of mine." He said, his soft voice pleasant to listen to. I smiled up at him, thanking him once more for his consideration and he reassured me that it was no trouble. "You just looked so sad yesterday, we all feel better when we see you smile so I wanted to help in some way to bring that lovely smile back." He told me before leaning forwards, smoothing back my hair before placing a kiss to the top of my head, making me tense slightly. "Goodnight Rikona, make sure that you sleep as well." He murmured before leaving my room, my wonder filled gaze following after him. What was that all about? Was he simply being an affectionate brother? It'll take me a little more time to get used to having so many brothers, but I'm glad that we seem to be looking out for each other. It's far better than having to take care of yourself all on your own any day. I'm glad those lonely days are behind me.


	8. Chapter 8

When Yusuke awoke the next morning he completely panicked, crying out in alarm when he didn't recognise his surroundings and found himself shirtless. I stirred, moaning softly as I blinked myself awake, making him freak out again. "What are you doing down there? Where am I?!" He yelled, snatching the covers up to his chest as his entire face went bright red. I was still half asleep and I didn't register that Yusuke was completely shocked and confused as I lay my head back down on the bed next to him.

"Yusuke, good, you're awake now…zzz…" I was a little bit of a heavy sleeper and sometimes it took a lot of effort for me to wake up in the mornings, however as Yusuke slowly began to calm down he looked at me, blazing red face continuing to burn as he slowly reached out his hand and nervously started to stroke through my hair which I had tied back into a plait running down my head, but it had come a little loose in the night. "Hmm…" A sleepy smile arose, enjoying the sensation of someone running their fingers through my hair. It almost felt like my dad was home, waking me up in the morning as a surprise and I'd always fling my arms around him to embrace him, all smiles and happiness. But this wasn't my dad. "Hm, Yusuke? Are you awake?" I murmured, slowly opening my eyes in time to see him whip back his hand.

"Ah! Sorry, I didn't mean to…um…" He blushed again as I sat up, rubbing my eyes with a small yawn before I smiled at him.

"Good morning. How do you feel? You look a lot better, let me check your temperature." I reached forwards and touched my hand against his brow. His fever had come down but he was blushing a lot and I giggled, entertained at how he still wasn't used to me. "Yusuke, you're really shy around girls, you go bright red whenever I'm near you."

"It doesn't help when you point it out like that!" He protested before gripping his head, groaning and instantly I sat down next to him, reaching out to touch his shoulder with worry. "Just a headache, almost feels like someone's splitting my skull in two." He groaned, hissing slightly so I got up and found him some painkillers and a drink of water.

"Here, these should help for the time being but I don't think you should go to school today Suke, you don't want to get worse again if you overwork yourself." I reasoned with him but he tried to get up once he'd taken the painkillers.

"I have to go, I can't afford to miss out on class. Besides, there's a test at the end of the week that I have to pass." However the moment he started to move he groaned, his face suddenly becoming extremely pale and I made him sit back down at least for a few moments. "Hey, why am I in your bed?"

"Well, you sort of passed out here when Wataru and I were gaming. I didn't want to disturb you so I said it was okay for you to stay." I explained to him, kneeling down on my futon where I had slept that night. It was rather comfortable, so Yusuke had no reason to be guilty but he cursed himself quietly, looking downwards as he rubbed his head.

"What a jerk, kicking a girl out of her own bed. I'm sorry about all this, I didn't mean to end up crashing here." He apologised sincerely but I just chuckled back at him.

"It's alright Suke, I really don't mind." He sighed, looking away before suddenly he sat up a little, looking down at me in surprise before pointing, a blank look on his face.

"Hey, what did you just call me?" I frowned slightly, trying to think.

"Suke?" I hadn't realised I had begun to shorten his name, it had just happened of its own accord. I blushed slightly, guilty that I had just gone ahead and done that without asking permission. "I'm sorry, it just sort of slipped out. I don't mind calling you Yusuke if that's what you prefer, it just felt rather natural." Rubbing his head still, Yusuke looked down at the floor, red still touching his cheeks.

"It's okay, I don't mind." This made me happy and I nodded my head, agreeing to call him Suke from now on. I really felt like a big sister and it was a wonderful feeling. "I have to get ready for school." The second time Yusuke tried to get up he broke out into a sweat and his knees buckled so I forcibly wrapped him back up in my blankets, almost tying a ribbon for good measure to make sure he didn't try to escape off to school and make himself sick again.

"Don't you even move a muscle young man, you're just going to make yourself worse again. Don't worry about school for one day, I'll call them and tell them you're not going to be there then I'll go and pick up any homework or schoolbooks that you might need. Then, once you're better I'll help you catch up on anything that you missed and I'll even help you study for your test, go it?" With my hands placed firmly on my hips, I gave him the strongest stern look I could possibly muster before it collapsed and I chuckled to myself. Yusuke managed a frail smile, chuckling too as he lay back his head.

"Yeah okay, you win Rikki. Thanks for helping me with all my homework and studying, by the way. I really appreciate it." He said to me as I placed the cold cloth back over his forehead.

"It's no trouble, besides I enjoy spending time with my brothers. I'd like to get to know each of you as much as possible so that we're a proper family." I said to him, making sure he was comfortable. "Do you want any food or anything? I always liked to eat fruit when I was sick, peaches are my favourite." I said to him but he shook his head, the mere thought of food probably making his stomach churn. "Okay, you just rest easy and leave everything to your big sister." I said, patting his head before I let him rest in peace and quiet after tidying away the futon.

When I arrived at breakfast Wataru was just finishing up, ready to go to school. "Hey big sis! Are you walking me to school again today? Ukyo had to leave work early and so did Azusa and Tsubaki, I think Masaomi is still sleeping from his night shift. He got back really early in the morning but Ukyo said that he checked in on Yusuke before he went to sleep." He did? I never heard him come in. I must have been deeply asleep by that time.

"Well if no one else is here then I guess you're stuck with me Wataru." I told him but he was happy enough with this arrangement so I quickly ate some breakfast, snuck back into my room to get a change of clothes before I went to the bathroom upstairs, washing and dressing before getting my things ready to leave, making a call to Yusuke's school to tell them that he wouldn't be there due to illness. "Are you ready yet big sis?"

"I'm just coming Wataru, sorry for making you wait." I said to him as I hurried for the elevator, however as we stepped inside a hand shot out and stopped the doors. "Oh Subaru, good morning. I'm sorry, I would have held the doors for you."

"It's okay, I was a little spaced out." He answered as he stepped inside. "Isn't Ukyo supposed to take Wataru to school today?"

"Apparently he got called to the office earlier than expected, so Wataru asked me to walk him." I explained as Wataru beamed, throwing his arms around my waist in a tight embrace which I warmed at.

"Isn't big sis the greatest? All my friends really want to meet you, some of them don't think you really exist because I tell them how awesome you are." He said to me and I blushed slightly, touched by his words and a little embarrassed too, though that was just me being shy and a bit awkward. "Hey Subaru, don't you think big sis is so cool?" He asked and Subaru coughed slightly from the water he'd accidentally chugged, startled by his little brother's question as he awkwardly looked around.

"Um, yeah. I guess." We glanced at one another then both shared a small chuckle, understanding one another's discomfort in this situation. "I can walk with you if you want. I'm heading that way anyway for practice." He offered.

"Thank you Subaru, that'd be great." I agreed, glad to have some time to perhaps get to know him a little better. Slowly I was beginning to get to know each of the brothers, or at least the ones I had the most contact with as some disappeared quite often and of course, one or two didn't exactly live at home anymore. Wataru happily chatted away, his smaller hand holding onto mine habitually as we began to make the walk to school. Subaru and I were both quiet and I wasn't entirely sure what to say to him, however when we reached the school Wataru hugged me one last time as I saw him off, watching as he went to go and play with his friends before I turned to Subaru.

"He's so adorable, right?"

"Yeah, he has his charm." Subaru agreed, his bag slung over his shoulder casually as we stood facing one another. "So uh…are you heading home now?"

"Yeah, there's still Yusuke to look after and I'm pretty certain Kaname and Masaomi will want lunch when they are up and about. I'm not sure about the others, but I'll make sure to make plenty." I glanced around Subaru, noticing that he didn't carry any food with him. "Hey, do you have your lunch in your gym bag?" I questioned, nodding towards his bag.

"Uh no, no I didn't make anything to take with me. I'll probably buy something whilst I'm out if I don't make it back for lunch." He answered, managing to maintain eye contact with me and he wasn't blushing as much as he usually did. Was he finally adjusting to me? All the same I stepped closer, eyes conveying my insistence with firm hand gestures.

"Please make sure you do, it's important for you to eat and stay healthy for your basketball, right? You need to make sure you have calories to burn so that you can do your best and train hard. If you ever want a lunch to take away with you please don't hesitate to ask, I'll happily make one for you." I told him, wanting to make sure that he took proper care of himself. "I don't know much about athletes, but I could very easily do some research and find some good recipes to help you keep fit and get stronger." A bell chimed in my ear and a voice yelled out, demanding people to get out the way and I jolted, seeing the cyclist come rushing straight at me but Subaru suddenly grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me towards him.

I landed against his chest with a hand pressed against his firm muscle to keep my balance, his strong hand remaining at my shoulder as the cyclist flit past and I breathed, a little shaken by surprise but I quickly shook it off as I looked up at Subaru. He was staring down at me, firstly in surprise at his own reflexes before he softened, smiling down at me a little. "I'd appreciate that, but don't go out of your way for no reason." He said, relaxing his grip and stepping back a little so that we weren't so close together. I could feel just how strong his fingers were and how toned his body was, he must train really hard to achieve such a level of fitness. I was rather awe inspired, Subaru was really serious about his dream and he was chasing after it with everything that he had.

"It's no trouble, really, and any passion of yours is of interest to me. After all, we're family now right? It's my job as your sister to support you as best I can. Please, if there's anything I can ever do, please just ask me Subaru." I told him. "I want us to be good friends, and really want us to be a proper brother and sister, so let me do what I can for you all, okay?" Without warning Subaru suddenly had me in his arms again, bag dropping to his side as his powerful arms wrapped themselves around me and his head burrowed into my neck. At first I froze, tensing up all over as his height naturally lifted me up onto my toes and I stared blankly upwards, unable to respond due to my instinctive paralysis.

For a while he just held me there, his body relaxing around me like a warm barricade of pure muscle but I didn't exactly mind it, in fact it was rather comforting to be in such a strong embrace. I felt nostalgic, thinking of my dad and how he used to hug me all the time, calling me his cute little angel and things like that. "I'd really like it if you came to practice sometime, or even one of my games." Subaru admitted, speaking into me as he slowly drew back and his hands curled around my upper arms. "I've been a bit off my game recently, but I think you'd be able to help me focus again if you're there."

"Oh…right…sure, that's not a problem. How about I go with you tomorrow? Masaomi will be taking Wataru to school and I'll have the morning free." I smiled, recovering from the unexpected move from Subaru. "I'll be sure to cheer for you."

"Thanks, that would be great." Looking to his watch Subaru flinched, realising that he was now going to be late. "I'll see you at home then, take care of yourself Rikona." I nodded my head, waving him goodbye after he grabbed his bag and took off. I was glad we got to talk, I feel like we've finally established a firm connection to one another. Turning around I walked in the opposite direction, heading back home where I made sure Yusuke was recovering well.

He was sleeping like a baby so I let him rest, leaving a small snack of sliced apples and water to drink with his phone next to it as well as a note to text me if he needed anything. As I slipped out the door and closed it quietly, two hands appeared over my eyes to cut out my line of sight, a presence looming close behind me as a voice whispered against my ear. "Guess who?"

"Kaname! Good morning, did you sleep well?" I asked him as he dropped his hands and I turned to face him.

"Pleasant dreams filled with visions of you." He told me charmingly and I glanced away, feeling awkward. "I see Yusuke is still rudely occupying your room. If you want I'd be happy to drag him out of there so you can have your privacy back." Kaname offered but I shook my head, keeping my voice low as not to disturb Yusuke.

"It's no trouble at all, he was still sick this morning so I made him stay and rest. I was going to head to his school just before it ended to collect any work he needed, I've already called to make the arrangements, I hope you don't mind." I informed him as we began to walk back to the main living room and kitchen where Ukyo had left instructions for lunch which he'd already started preparing.

"Of course not Rikki, it makes me glad to see you merging into our family so effortlessly, it's like you've been with us all along." His sweet honey toned voice said to me as he winked and I felt a dull thump in my chest as I felt a little more embarrassed. He didn't have to try so hard to compliment me, I wouldn't like him any less if he just acted like himself. "Though, may I make a small suggestion?" He asked and I stopped, looking up at him expectantly. "I'm rather partial to your adorable dress sense, however I think if you turned up at Yusuke's school like that, the teachers would probably not believe you if you told them who you were. First impressions always count for something, so if you have anything that would let them see what a pretty girl you are, then I'm sure there won't be any unnecessary complications." I could understand what he meant as I looked down at myself, rather sloppily dressed for the most part though it was done purely for comfort. "Besides, you looked so grown up in that dress, I'd like to see what other looks you could pull off. I bet anything would look good on you." As his hands went around my waist to pull me close my hand jumped to his chest, making him stop as he blinked down at my rather serious expression.

"Kaname, you don't have to be so complimentary in order to make me like you. I like you already, so there's no need for you to overdo it like this. I'm fine with simple compliments, but anything more than that makes me uncomfortable, and I know you don't want that because you're a kind and considerate person." I said to him, rather surprised at how even and calm my voice was when usually this sort of thing made me shake all over. "I guess being a little flirty might just be who you are, but some girls prefer sincere to charming, because then we know that when a guy says something to us, we know that what he means is true and there's no ulterior motive behind it." Pulling back my hand from my chest, I lifted my head and finally beamed at him. "Kaname is a good brother to me, so you can relax and not force yourself to try so hard to make me feel special. The way you all accept me so easily, that makes me feel special enough already." The words just came flowing out, however by Kaname's reaction I knew I'd taken him by surprise. Eventually he laughed, a wide smiled expression gracing his handsome face.

"You have me read like a book, little lady. I should be more careful around you because you are obviously more perceptive than you let on." He said, placing a hand on top of my head in affection. "Thank you for being honest with me, it's good to see you speaking your mind without being so nervous around us." This I could tell was sincere so instead of getting embarrassed and awkward, I nodded my head up at Kaname before I went to prepare lunch.

Masaomi woke up a little later just as I was ready to dish up, drawn in by the smells. "That smells good, anything I can do?" He offered but I was already setting out plates.

"It's all done, please relax and enjoy some food. You've been working really hard for other people, Masaomi, so you deserve to take a break for yourself." I informed him before beginning to dish out the stew. Iori also joined us for food, touching my shoulder as he walked past me and I brightened, happy as we all sat down together, Kaname also coming to the table dressed in a plain suit which made him look rather dashing.

After eating I flexed my wrist a little, noticing that it was twinging slightly and almost instantly Masaomi noticed I was inspecting it. "Does your wrist hurt again Rikona?" He asked, getting to his feet and walking around the table even as I lifted my hands.

"Oh no it was just a slight pull that's all, it's nothing really." I insisted but he wanted to make sure anyway, unwrapping the bandages to reveal the slightly swollen wrist. At least it was my left hand, I could do most tasks with just my right so it wasn't too bad but it still made certain things difficult.

"Hmm, I think it best if you rest it for now. We'll clear up so don't worry about that." He said, nodding to Kaname who was already picking up the dishes with Iori beginning to run the hot water to wash things. I know that it wasn't exactly my turn to do the dishes, but everyone else worked so hard that I felt a little bad for making them do extra. I knew that by picking up odd chores here and there it was a little weight off their minds to know that they didn't have to worry about such things. However Masaomi insisted, so instead I took a little food to Yusuke and insisted that he ate some and he admitted that he was hungry, which was a good sign.

As the time neared for me to go to his school and pick up his work I searched through my wardrobe before finding a neat pair of beige jeans that fit me snugly as well as a navy blue and white striped shirt with long fitted sleeves, a slight scoop neck making it sit on my shoulders neatly. I got changed then pulled on some ballet flats, brushed through my hair before twisting it into a side bun with a few locks escaping before I looked at my neck. It felt rather bare so I found a light scarf, wrapping it around my neck and immediately I felt better. "Okay, I'm off now so I'll see you soon Suke, rest well!" I cheered at him as I head for the door, picking up my bag and slipped over my shoulder as Yusuke almost spit out his drink of water.

"Hey! What kind of outfit is that?!" He stared, surprised to see me wearing something other than my sweatshirt. I blushed slightly, glancing over myself.

"Does it look bad? Kaname said that I should make a good first impression as your sister to your teachers, but this is the best I could do." I told him, touching a hand to my cheek where I'd put on a little makeup to cover the bruising. "To be honest I'm not very comfortable, it's a little too clingy for my liking but I want to make a good impression on your behalf, after all I'm your sister now."

"It's not that, it looks fine but it's just." He frowned slightly. "You just look much older that's all. Hey, how old are you actually?"

"Huh? I'm twenty, I'll be twenty one in a few months." I told him and he seemed surprised.

"I thought you were only a few months older than me!" He yelped before groaning, the sudden exertion making his head spin so I quickly helped him lie back down again. "Damn it, you're just a little younger than Iori. That's so not fair." I was a little confused as to what he was saying but Yusuke was already falling back asleep, eyes sliding shut so I fondled his hair affectionately before I left the room. I snuck out of the building without anyone seeing me, wanting to escape without being noticed in such a noticeable wardrobe change however as I looked back to make sure no one had seen, I almost ran straight into someone but I stopped in time, gasping sharply as my eyes struck against stern stones of lilac that momentarily lost their composure, widening upon seeing me unexpectedly.

"N-Natsume! What are you doing here?" I asked him in confusion. Shouldn't he be at work?

"Well actually, I came to see how you were doing. Tsubaki told me you were pretty shaken up from the other day." I blushed slightly, instantly remembering how he had had to come to my rescue as I was pretty useless in protecting Wataru by myself. "I wanted to make sure you weren't too upset."

"Oh, I'm fine. Thank you for your consideration." I said then bowed awkwardly, not knowing what else to do as I failed to even look into his eyes again, blushing furiously as I bowed my head slightly. "I was just on my way to Yusuke's school to pick up his work. He wasn't able to go today, so I was going to run the errand for him."

"Hop in, I'll drive you there." He decided and I started, lifting my head as he began to walk towards his car.

"I don't mind catching the train, I wouldn't want to be a bother. You must be busy, right?" I rationalised but Natsume opened the door anyway, giving me an inviting smile which was gentle and almost absent, but just about noticeable. I glowed inwardly at such an innocent smile.

"It's fine, I have a little time free right now so it's no trouble. Besides it'll save you the fare." He reasoned back before leaving the door open, going around to the driver's side where he slid into the car and buckled up, starting up the engine. When I heard the car start I jumped, hurriedly getting in and closing the door, however he waited until I was strapped in before moving off. There was an awkward silence between us, or at least awkward for me. I didn't know what to say to him or how to engage in conversation. Quite honestly I was so nervous that I had to grip my hands into fists just to try and keep them from shaking. Jeez I'm such a strange girl, I hope he doesn't notice. "Your face seems to look alright, was there not much bruising?" Natsume suddenly spoke and I felt my body instinctively jump to sit a little straighter.

"Uh, no that's not it, I um, I'm wearing a little concealer to cover it up. I didn't want people to look at me funny." I explained to him, reaching up to touch my cheek carefully, not wanting to mess it up or wipe it off. There was a few more minutes of silence as I worked up my courage, shifting uncomfortably before I took a deep breath. "Listen, I never got the chance to say this before, but thank you for coming when you did and for making sure Wataru and I got home. That was very nice of you."

"Well, seeing as you could barely stand I'd feel like a jerk if I just left you guys." He answered simply, keeping his focus on the road. "I was on my way to a meeting so it was sheer coincidence I saw you guys, I just hope that asshole got the message." I saw Natsume tighten his grip on the steering wheel. "So don't worry about it, I hope this means I've made up for such a lousy introduction of myself." I blinked in surprise, glancing across to him before looking down to my hands in my lap.

"It's fine, I'm sorry I lost my temper a little. I just get so nervous when I'm meeting new people and I definitely don't like rudeness, so I spoke before I really thought about anything I was saying. So really we're both at fault here." Feeling a little brave I lifted my head and smiled warmly at him. "Let's start over, okay? I'm Rikona Hinata, it's nice to meet you." Natsume gave a low chuckle of amusement, glancing across to me briefly as we stopped at a red light.

"Natsume Asahina. Welcome to the family." He greeted and I relaxed a little, glad that we had cleared up our differences. Natsume drove me to Yusuke's school and when I got out the car, I blinked as I took in the large buildings and the clean complex of the place. "Hey, are you going to be alright? If you're shy about meeting new people then I could always come with you." He offered kindly as he got out the car and leaned against his roof, watching me closely.

"That's okay, this is for Yusuke, right?" I reasoned before giving a grin. "If it's for my little brother then I can be a little braver. I'll be alright." A strange look came over Natsume's face for a brief moment before it swiftly disappeared, almost as if it had never been there.

"I'll wait here then. Don't take too long." He cautioned before getting back into his car. Not wanting to take up too much of his time I hurried to the office, working up my courage and lecturing myself about making good first impressions as I found the receptionist. Putting on my bravest of smiles, I greeted her with a bow.

"Good afternoon ma'am, I'm Rikona Hinata, I'm here to collect Yusuke Asahina's work for him." The receptionist blinked before looking to a few notes on her desk.

"Oh! Yes I remember you calling this morning. If you'll just hold a moment, I'll ask one of the staff if they have the work for you." She said and I thanked her kindly, holding a fist against my chest as my heart fluttered nervously. The nice receptionist made a call, spoke a few words then directed me down the hall to one of the classrooms as the teacher hadn't yet finished up with class, but if I didn't want to disturb them then it was alright to wait as there was only ten minutes left.

"Thank you very much but I have someone waiting for me, I'll just be a few moments and I'll be very quick." I promised before walking swiftly down the hall, following her directions until I came to Yusuke's class. I knocked politely and a woman's voice asked me to enter, so I slid the door open. "Hello, I'm sincerely sorry for interrupting. I'm Rikona Hinata and I'm here to collect Yusuke's work for him." I explained, giving another bow to the teacher who instantly smiled.

"Welcome! I have everything right here, please come in." As I stepped inside I heard a lot of whispering so I looked to my left, seeing an entire class full of teenagers of Yusuke's age. There were many different looks from each of them, though most were pure and simple curiosity, though some of the boys' jaws had dropped almost to their desks as I brushed aside a lock of hair from my face. It was then I noticed the equations on the board and as the teacher gathered up a stack of paper, I turned to face it, quickly answering each one in my head. "Oh, do you have an interest in arithmetic, miss?" She questioned and I started slightly, realising I had become distracted.

"It was one of my favourite subjects at school, I found it challenging the more complicated the equations became so it was fun for me."

"Are you kidding?" One of the guys responded incredulously, gripping his hair. "These are so hard! I don't get it at all!" He complained and there was a murmur of agreement as he slumped in his seat, resting his face in his hand. "This is so pointless, and to think there's going to be a test on Friday." I felt a little guilty for the boy so I glanced to the board again before tentatively asking him.

"Which one are you struggling with? I'm sure you just missed something, I think you're much cleverer than you let yourself believe." I said to him, trying my best not to let my nervousness show through my smile as he looked up, eyes widening slightly before he blushed.

"All of them." The teacher watched curiously as I turned back to the first problem on the board, naturally reaching out to point to certain characters.

"Algebra may look scary but it's really very simple once you understand how to work it out. Here, let me show you." My brain beginning to take over I picked up the chalk and wrote, working it out visually for everyone before I then turned back around to face them, pointing to each addition I'd made. "If you need to find out the value of something, then all you have to do is remove all the surplus characters on both sides of the equation and to do that, all you have to do is neutralise everything that is unnecessary. So if it's two 'x' plus three equals seven, then you have to minus three from both sides. That leaves us with two 'x' equals four. This equation now means that two 'x' is the equivalent to four, so all you need to do now is half it to find the value of two." I explained before putting down the chalk. "You see? All you have to remember is to do the same to both sides, then you can never go wrong."

"Wow! You're so smart sempai, and you're super sexy too!" Another one of the boys announced and others chimed in to agree, a slight murmur rising however the teacher suddenly clapped her hands.

"Alright everyone, we still have five minutes left so do your best with these problems now that Miss Hinata has so kindly helped you all." I felt a little embarrassed but she was smiling at me as she handed over the papers to me and I tucked them into my bag. "Thank you very much, you're a natural at this sort of thing. Have you ever considered a career in teaching?" She questioned and I blinked, touching a finger to my lips.

"Teaching? No I haven't, but this was really enjoyable. Maybe I should consider it." I agreed before giving a bow. "Thank you so much for your time, I really appreciate it." I thanked her and she assured me that it was her pleasure, so with a few minutes still left of class I left as quietly as I could, wanting to get back to Natsume so that he wasn't waiting for too much longer. A bell chimed just as I reached reception where I said goodbye to the nice lady there before stepping outside. It really was a lovely day, I think Wataru will insist on going to the park when Masaomi goes to collect him. I saw Natsume leaning against the passenger side patiently so I smiled, instantly brightening to see him there. A few cherry blossom petals began to fall from the trees as the wind picked up a little, cloaking him in their delicate beauty. He really was handsome.

"Hey sexy sempai! Wait up!" I jerked suddenly, looking back to see a group of those boys from Yusuke's class rushing after me with their bags slung over their shoulders. Did they just call me sexy sempai? I'm not too sure I feel about that, apart from extremely alarmed. "Hey sempai, can I get your number?"

"Yeah me too! How old are you sempai? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Want to go out drinking sometime?" Another questioned and I froze, not knowing what to do as so many young boys crowded around me. They were getting too close, my skin was crawling as they continued to ask me questions, even about what size underwear I wore. I was overwhelmed and I froze up, pressing my eyes shut however when a warm hand wrapped around mine I stopped, looking up to see Natsume gently guiding me towards him and he fixed his other arm around my shoulders, closing the distance between us.

"Come on, I'll take you home." He murmured warmly and I instantly relaxed, feeling infinitely safer with him as his arm remained fixed around my shoulders and drew me away. Not wanting to be rude, I looked back and gave a timid wave.

"Goodbye everyone, take good care of Yusuke for me." I cheered and they seemed to collectively sigh with dreamy looks on my face, however Natsume gave my shoulder a slight tug to draw my attention forwards so that I could watch where I was going. "Thank you Natsume, I'm sorry for being so much trouble."

"You're no trouble at all, kiddo. You just looked like you were about to pass out, that's all." He said to me with a warmth to his eyes that made my chest tighten and I gulped, forcing myself to look forwards as he opened the door then closed it politely behind me before going to the driver's side. I felt a little awkward, staring aimlessly out the window as Natsume didn't attempt to make conversation either.

By the time we got back to the condo I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest from it thundering so loudly. What's wrong with me? Maybe I'm beginning to catch whatever it is that Yusuke has. I really hope not, I wouldn't want to be unwell for my dad's wedding to Miwa. Before I opened the door, Natsume called across to me. "Hey, take my number in case you ever need to contact me. I might be busy with work but I'll be sure to make time if you ever need anything." He said to me, passing across a business card which I took.

"Thanks, that's really kind of you Natsume." I said before looking down at it. Wait a minute, I recognised the logo. "You work for this company Natsume?" He blinked slightly, obviously surprised that I recognised it.

"I didn't take you for a gamer, have you played any of our games?" He asked and I blushed slightly.

"I've played most of your fantasy games, but I haven't quite worked up the courage to try out the ones with all the zombies, I'm a real sissy when it comes to that sort of thing so I've never gotten around to playing them." I admitted before brightening. "But that's so cool you work with producing these games, you must make a lot of kids and people out there happy by working hard to make them all so good, I've never had anything bad to say about any of the games I've played made by your company."

"Well thanks, it's nice to hear such positive feedback." Natsume admitted, rubbing the back of his head as he said so. "I guess our zombie games are pretty intense, but if you were ever interested in beta testing for our newest release then just give me a call or a text." He said, lowering his hand back down again and I jumped slightly, twisting around in my seat to face him properly.

"If it's to help you with your work then of course I'll try playing them for you." I agreed, nodding my head. "Since it's important to you, then I'll do my best to give good and honest feedback. Think of it as my way of supporting you in your job and as a means to say thank you for helping me out so much." A flicker of a smile touched his lips and I blushed instantly. That smile was really cute, he should smile more often.

"Won't you be scared?" He asked, slightly teasing but I just beamed up at him, giving a wink.

"Like I said, if it's for my brothers then I can be a little bit braver." He seemed satisfied with that so promised to send me a copy in the next couple of days. I thanked him for the ride again before sliding out, making sure I had everything in my bag as I tucked his business card into a pocket to keep it safe before waving Natsume off, watching as he pulled away before I returned home where my brothers waited for me.


	9. Chapter 9

It was finally here, the wedding day! My stomach was fluttering with so many different kind of nerves that I could barely keep still. Louis came to my room and styled my hair for me, styling it in rather luscious waves and swirls before braiding my rather long hair into a fishtail plait, letting it sit over my shoulder before placing a pretty flower pin into my hair, a cluster of blue and purple flowers which drew out the colour of my eyes. "There, you look super nice Kona. You shouldn't feel so shy, because like, you're so pretty everyone will love you just the way you are."

"Thanks Louis, you're so sweet. Thank you so much for styling my hair, I'm rather hopeless with it myself."

"No sweat, it was fun." He said, giving my shoulders a squeeze before drawing back. I was already wearing my dress and the shoes, but now Louis was done with my hair I put on the accessories Miwa had also send to me. A really sweet silver necklace with a heart charm, a pretty amethyst stone glinting every time I moved set at the top right hand corner. The other accessory was the hair pin and when it was all put together, I couldn't help but feel like a princess. Miwa really knew how to pick out clothes, I loved her fashion sense and I was really glad that she was going to be my mother. It'll be nice to have someone as lovely as Miwa to talk to about girl stuff. Dad had tried his best but it was a little too awkward for the both of us so he didn't push it much.

The venue for the wedding was utterly beautiful and everything was so well decorated, my dad never had this much taste so I assumed it was all Miwa's doing, she's such a stylish lady. My dad sure was a lucky man. "Well little lady, it's going to be official soon. You'll be our adorable little sister." Kaname said to me as he lay his rather large arm around my shoulders, pulling me into him with a charming smile. "Are you excited?"

"Well yes, but I already feel like part of the family so nothing is really going to change." I reasoned, still gazing at everything around me. "I'm just happy that my dad is finally finding himself his own happiness, you know? He works so hard and I knew he used to worry about me a lot, but now things are starting to go so perfectly for him. I want this day to be the most special day for him ever." Unable to contain my excitement, I beamed. "And I'm lucky too, after all, I get thirteen amazing and wonderful brothers all to myself. It's the best."

"You're too cute Rikki." Kaname said with a soft chuckle before he leaned closer and brushed his lips against my cheek, making me start slightly in surprise. That was unexpected, but I think Kaname meant it well as he winked at me then pulled back, letting me have some space as everyone else either talked in their own groups or helped with last minute preparations such as setting out the order of service and things. Behind me the doors opened and a familiar presence washed around me, making me lose my breath.

"If it isn't my beautiful girl, you look so grown up. I hardly even recognise you little angel." Almost immediately I was spinning around in a whirl of fabric and ribbon, seeing my dad standing there in his wedding suit and looking happier than I had ever seen him before as he opened his arms and I was already flying into them with my hands stretching outwards, elation gleaming in my eyes as I flung myself into his embrace as I cried out.

"Dad!" I was so happy to see him that I buried my face into his clean scent and familiar arms, letting them curl around me as he placed his cheek on top of my head. "I missed you so much dad! I don't think you've ever been gone for such a long time all at once."

"I know angel, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you soon, I promise, can you forgive your old man for being a jerk and leaving his precious little girl with so many new life changes without being there to hold her hand?" He asked and we both laughed as I reached up and pressed my forehead against his, positively glowing as his thumb brushed against my cheek.

"You know that you never have to apologise dad, I'm just so happy that you're back now and that it's such a special day for all of us. Besides, you don't exactly have to hold my hand for every little thing now, I can take care of myself." He laughed again, nuzzling my nose before pulling me back into him for another hug. I felt so refreshed seeing him again, it were as if I truly hadn't seen him for years on end and now that our separation was ended, nothing could shake me.

"If our little sister ever greeted me with such enthusiasm, I think I'd die and go to heaven." Tsubaki said with a chuckle as several of the guys observed us closely. "I'm even a little jealous."

"Yeah, we can see who the number one man in her life is." Azusa agreed and I glanced their way, giving them a smile before I looked back to my dad who told me to come and meet Miwa properly, taking me to where she was getting dressed. I'd talked with her over the phone and we'd video called a few times when she happened to be with my dad at the time, however when I saw her in the flesh, those video calls did her no justice. I could see why all of her boys were so handsome as she turned around to face me, just was just so pretty.

"Rikona! Oh you look so lovely, it's such a nice change being able to buy things for a girl rather than thirteen boys, I'm so happy to meet you finally!" She gushed, moving forwards and taking my hands in mine as I continued to stare. "Your dad speaks so highly of you I feel like I know you already, but we'll get to know each other properly face to face from now on, okay?"

"O-Okay." I stuttered, a little overwhelmed. She looked a lot like Ukyo and her dress was absolutely stunning, her figure still that of a much younger woman. I couldn't believe she'd had thirteen boys and still looked so trim. "I'm sorry Miss Miwa, it's just that you're so beautiful. I'm a little nervous." I admitted before I could stop myself and I blushed deeply, touching a hand to my mouth but Miwa only smiled further.

"You're such a sweetheart, but please call me Miwa or even better, mom. I'd really like it if you did but you take as much time as you need. We have all the time in the world from now on." She was just so lovely and angelic, I thought people like her only existed in fairy tales but here she was in the flesh as my dad came to her side, placing an arm around her and lovingly kissing her head.

"I told you she'd be a little shy, but I think you both have a lot in common so I'm sure you'll grow used to one another very soon." He said and Miwa nodded her head, still gazing at me as if she already thought of me as a daughter. I was happy, my own mother died when I was young so I had no memory of her, yet Miwa was everything that I imagined a mother to be. Relaxing, I allowed myself to smile as I nodded my head.

"I'm looking forward to it, Miwa." She brightened again, happy that I'd dropped formalities and she squealed, throwing her arms around me to embrace me properly.

"When I next come back I'll be sure to take you shopping so we can get to know each other properly, I've always wanted to go shopping with my own daughter and it would be great for us to spend time together. Oh! I see you're wearing your necklace, it really suits you." She said, noticing the glint of the stone. "I know it's not your birthstone but I thought it would suit your eyes, it was a good choice after all. I hope you'll wear it often, it's my gift to you, the first of many from mother to daughter."

"You're so kind, Miwa, and I really do love it as well as the dress and the shoes. To be honest I was so worried about what I should wear as I'm not very good with fashion or clothes or even looking very girly, so I'm glad that you were there to help me out." I told her and she smiled, tightening her embrace around me before letting go. I didn't think today could be anymore wonderful, however as Miwa and my dad said their vows, I don't think I could keep myself from crying though Masaomi kindly handed me a handkerchief, patting me on the shoulder as I stood on his left hand side.

There were quite a lot of people at the wedding but I only knew my family, I'm fairly certain that most of these people were either close friends or business associates as a few of them seemed to recognise me. "Ah, you must be Rikona, Rintarou's girl." A middle aged man said to me and I blinked, instinctively freezing. "I've heard about you, I can see why you're important to him, you're a very pretty girl." This made me frown slightly and some of my nerves dropped at the slightly severe looking man, the champagne in his hand bubbling softly.

"Well, I think even if I was ugly, my dad would still love me the same, so I don't see how that has anything to do with it." I answered before I could think, though my voice was quiet and still timid. "My dad doesn't love someone for how they look, like Miwa, he loves people because of what they feel and how they are as a person." The gentleman blinked at me, surprised that I had answered back and I blushed, looking away as his cold eyes fixated on me.

"I'll be sure to remember you, Miss Hinata." He said smoothly before walking away. The moment he was gone I exhaled, allowing my shoulders to slump. That had been so scary, who even was he? He didn't introduce himself at all. Just as I was about to go in search of a familiar face, Azusa stopped next to me, looking after the man I was staring at before he placed a warm hand on my back.

"Don't let people like that frighten you. They're all talk and nothing much more." He advised and I nodded, feeling more comfortable now that he was here. "Come on, I think we're about ready to cut the cake now, let's go find a good place to stand."

"Alright." I walked with Azusa over towards the top table where a beautiful cream cake stood, expertly crafted and I instantly felt my stomach rumble. It looked so good, strawberries and cream was my favourite, did Miwa like it too? Everyone clapped as the cake was cut however when I heard a flickering sound of a shutter I blinked, looking over my shoulder towards one of the professional photographers had his lens pointed directly at me. My face softened naturally, the surprise ebbing away as I relaxed into a smile as the photographer took another photo before grinning at me, giving me a thumbs up and I waved back at him before returning to look at the cake. When the time came for the first dance, however, my dad had a surprise for me. He danced with Miwa, however after the first song he then held his hand out to me, making me blink. Miwa was nodding her head in encouragement so I rose up to my feet, feeling more than a little nervous as my dad took me by the hand and held me close.

"I know it's my wedding, but it wouldn't feel right unless I had a dance with my favourite little angel." He said to me and I glowed brightly, smiling up at him. With my dad there, I didn't feel so nervous as I knew he wouldn't let me trip or fall, I trusted him unconditionally so as we began to dance, I let him carry me into the steps, his hand guiding me when to spin and where to turn as a clap began to sound.

"Dear me, her dad even stole her first dance, this is just too unfair." Tsubaki said and I caught the conversation as we danced passed them, Hikaru giving a light chuckle as he swirled his drink.

"If there's any competition to beat, it'll be him that you'll have to best." I was a little confused as to what they were saying but it quickly fell out of my mind as my dad smiled at me, nudging my nose with his and I grinned, floating away with him before Miwa took my hands, having a little twirl with me before they both placed their arms around me. It was all too perfect and I never wanted that day to end, but after the flowers were thrown and some lucky lady caught them, the party began to draw to a close as guests started to leave.

I sat on a bench in a prettily decorated alcove, enjoying a moment to myself as I caught my breath. There were just so many people here and too many strangers had tried to talk to me, I must have looked like an idiot stuttering and stammering in front of them before making my apologies and dashing away. I really must try and do better around strangers, otherwise I'm going to have numerous problems later on in life. My head lifted when a voice called out in greeting and I saw Natsume coming to join me, taking the opposite side of the bench with as much distance between us as possible. "You look rather distressed, is everything alright?"

"Yes, I just needed to catch my breath." I told him honestly, giving a long sigh. "Everything was so perfect today, I wish I could press a reset button and do it all over again." Natsume chuckled softly but said nothing else so I sat there in silence, the gentle hum of chatter sounding from where the main event was still happening.

"How are you handling the demo I sent you? Have you made any progress?" Natsume asked and I quickly recalled the zombie game he had sent me to test for him.

"Oh! I actually rather enjoy it now, once you get used to the zombies they're not all that scary and besides, I figured it's just a game. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, I'm having a little difficulty with one of the sections. I know it's not meant to be easy and it might just be me, but there seems to be a glitch where I can't access the final boss no matter how many times I reset and do that quest all over again. It's in one of the later levels, in the desert." Natsume looked at me quickly, a strange look on his face.

"You got that far already? I'm impressed." I blushed slightly, rubbing my arms where I began to feel a slight chill with goose bumps prickling at my skin.

"I've played a little bit every day since you sent it and one night I stayed up rather late because I got so engrossed into it. I figured that you wouldn't be able to wait around for months on end for me to finish the game completely, so I've done my best to keep ahead." I responded honestly to him and Natsume continued to stare before he looked away, a professional air surrounding him.

"You take this really seriously, don't you? Well I'll talk to the guys about your problem and see if anyone else has had the same issue. If it's a network thing it'll have to be fixed, but are you sure you're meeting all the requirements to be able to access the boss? You might have finished the quest but sometimes there's something else that you either need to acquire or access before you can advance." I thought about it carefully, frowning as I pondered.

"Well I've looked around and searched through the task bar and everything but I couldn't find anything obvious. Maybe it's just not very clear and I keep on missing it." I'd gone over that level more times than I could count and still found nothing. I hope I haven't caused more work for Natsume, though if there is a problem then it did need to be fixed before the release, otherwise they wouldn't sell very well and profits would drop, which would be worse. "But it's a really cool game and I enjoy it a lot, so please thank everyone in the department for me, it may have helped me conquer my fear of zombies a little."

"I'll be sure to pass on the message." He assured me and I smiled, relaxing back for a little while. "Hey, you've got cream frosting on your face by the way." Natsume said and I sat upright, lifting a hand to my lips to try and find it however he had already reached out, brushing it away from the corner of my mouth before he stuck the frosting into his mouth, sucking it off his thumb and I stared at him, my chest tightening suddenly as my throat closed up. That was…incredibly sexy. It wasn't fair for a guy like him to do that, now I can barely even look at him as I rubbed my mouth clean.

"Um, thanks." I mumbled, pressing a hand against my heated face before I rose back up to my feet. "The others will probably start worrying if we're gone too long so I'm going to head back. I'll see you soon, Natsume."

"Take care kiddo." I couldn't help but feel disappointed. I wasn't a kid, I was almost twenty years old and somehow, I definitely did not want him to see me that way. Turning around I walked away from him, returning to the others however with this thought echoing in my mind, I couldn't help but feel that my spirits had deflated a little. I wasn't a child. Right?


	10. Chapter 10

"Rikki! Rikki I got my test result back! Hey, where are you?!" Yusuke was shouting as he came running into the living room, practically clearing the stairs in one leap as he rushed up to me and quickly pushed his test right in front of my arms as I recoiled slightly, taking by surprise before seeing that he'd got a rather high mark, sixty eight percent.

"That's amazing Suke! I knew you could do it." I praised him with a sudden beam, putting down the knife I'd been using to chop up vegetables as my hands clapped together once. "Already you're really beginning to improve on your studies and it's only been a few weeks, you should feel extremely proud of yourself!"

"Well, it's kind of all thanks to you." He said, rubbing his head bashfully as he then pouted slightly. "And all the other guys in my class have been bugging me all week about getting them your number and wanting to know if you'll tutor them as well, it's a real pain." His classmates had been pestering him? Was it because I had gone to his class that day to pick up his work? I didn't mean to cause such a fuss, poor Yusuke. No wonder he'd been looking a little more tired recently. "Anyway, I told them to push off about it, I don't want to share you with them. They're all idiots." Yusuke choked after he realised what he'd said but I couldn't help but smile at his words. He was a really cute little brother.

"You're really sweet, Suke, but you're the one who's been working so hard and after all," picking up his paper I showed it to him whilst pointing to his correct answers, "I didn't do these calculations. You did them all by yourself, so make sure you give yourself the credit you deserve, you're doing really great. Soon we'll have your science and literature up to scratch as well." I promised and Yusuke grinned, nodding his head in agreement.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."

"Aw, no fair! I want big sis to help me with my homework too!" Wataru suddenly voiced from behind and we both looked to see him pouting, looking up at us. "You shouldn't keep big sis all to yourself like this Yusuke, you're being selfish." He complained so I smiled down at him, crouching so that I was more his height.

"I can help you with your homework too, Wataru, but I just figured you were plenty smart already to be able to do it all by yourself. I know you're just as clever as all your other brothers, right?"

"Well yeah, but sometimes I like someone to go over my homework, just to check!" He reasoned so I promised that if he ever had trouble with work I'd always be happy to help him and he seemed satisfied with that. All my little brothers were just too cute, I sure was lucky. Looking at the time I realised that I had better finish up quickly if I was going to make it to Subaru's practice. I'd been to one before when I had agreed to, however this time he'd expressively asked me to come and I think it was because something important was happening. He had a game coming up soon, so perhaps this was the deciding practice to see whether or not he was in the line up.

I gave Yusuke a little more praise for doing such a great job and decided to pick up something whilst I was out as a reward. He had been working hard, so he deserved it. With everything prepped for dinner I tidied up before hurriedly changing my clothes, feeling a little sweaty and I wanted to look like I'd made an effort. I don't know why but I had this feeling that Subaru felt more comfortable when he had someone in his family watching him and I felt that just showing up in my oversized hoodie would just look minimalistic. Plus, it was a hot day.

Pulling on a pair of long shorts that almost reached my knees I also chose a fresh shirt with one of my favourite anime series on the front. This shirt was casual but it fit me a little better than most of my other ones, so I felt comfortable in it. My hair went up into its usual side bun and I also grabbed my bag, making sure I had my keys, wallet and phone before slipping into my sneakers. Before I left I made sure to grab the lunch I'd prepared for Subaru for after his practice just in case he was hungry.

When I arrived everyone was stretching and getting ready for their drills so I quietly went and claimed a seat, lifting my hand to wave at Subaru to let him know I was there, he waved back quickly before concentrating on his drills, his quick feet and rather agile hands manipulating the ball around his teammates as he started to shoot hoops. I was always impressed when I watched Subaru play, he put all his effort into doing well and he became so focused on his goal that very rarely did anyone stand a chance getting in his way. The squeaking sound of their shoes on the polished floors joined with the thumping of the ball as I became rather engrossed. Subaru had explained to me the rules several times but I was still trying to understand them all. Sport was never something I was very good at, but as the athletes all put their hearts into their training, I couldn't help but admire their determination. This really was a passion for them, but especially for Subaru.

About an hour later a break was called before they would organise a game so Subaru came jogging towards me, sweaty and breathless but he looked happy. I went down to greet him, leaving my seat as he grabbed a towel and some water, standing on the other side of the court as I leaned against the edge. "You look great out there Subaru, how are you feeling?" I asked him as he quickly recovered his breath.

"It's good but not great, I need to work on my defence otherwise the ball will keep on getting snatched. I've got a long way to go." Subaru was quick to pick up on his faults and I could see that he was intending to do even better than ever before so I reached out and placed my hand on his head, smiling at him affectionately as he looked up at me quickly, eyes widening slightly. As I brushed through his shortly cropped hair.

"You'll do great, I'm cheering you on Subaru." I told him sincerely before pulling my hand back. "That guy who keeps on taking the ball off you? He favours the right more than his left when he's coming to take the ball so you can almost always guarantee which direction he'll come from. With that probability in mind, there's also a higher chance of evasion if you can anticipate him coming and make one of those fancy turns of yours to your left and circle around him. I don't know if you actually have a name for that manoeuvre or anything, I'm still learning, but it's just something I noticed." I told him, nodding towards the guy I was talking about but Subaru already knew who I meant, a fair haired guy.

"Thanks, I never noticed that. Usually he's too fast for me, he's one of the quickest of us here." I was informed so I thought quietly to myself, touching my chin.

"Well, he may be fast but your reflexes are pretty good. I mean, you were fast enough to pull me out of the way of that cyclist, remember? I think you maybe think too much when you're playing Subaru, there is such a thing as trying _too_ hard you know." Reaching into my bag I pulled out a snack bar and held it out to him. "Here, it's good for restoring energy and low in calorie, just what you need." His face flickered with appreciation as he took it, putting down his water as he flicked his towel over his shoulder.

"Thanks Rikona, you're the best." He said and I warmed at his words.

"Hey Subaru! Who're you talking to? When are you going to introduce us?" A couple of Subaru's teammates came sauntering over, noticing that Subaru and I had been in close conversation and wanted to join in. They were all pretty rowdy and I instantly pulled backwards a little, uncertain of these newcomers. "Weren't you here that other time a week ago? I think I remember seeing you watching us play."

"Cut it out Kaoru, she's not one of your usual girls that you can just pick up. This is my step sister, Rikona." Subaru said, brushing off his friend's sweaty arm from around his neck as the other guy instantly perked up in interest.

"So she's not your girlfriend then? Sweet!" This one turned his charcoal gaze onto me with an intense gleam as he tried to lean closer. "You're pretty hot, want to go and do something fun after practice? There's a place downtown where we can go for drinks and stuff." I didn't like the suggestive tone in his voice and I flinched, my throat seizing up however Subaru thumped the guy on his head, making him yelp in pain.

"She's not going to go out with an idiot like you, Hiroji!" His voice rose slightly and I was surprised but his sudden flare of protectiveness, though deeply moved. I'm glad to see that we're really beginning to formulate a proper relationship, but he didn't have to be so aggressive about all this, it wasn't really that bad.

"No fair you jerk! You can't decide things for her you know, let her answer on her own! Maybe she _does_ want to go out with me?" Hiroji argued and Subaru stopped, a little lost for words before looking away quickly, a little flushed as Hiroji and Kaoru turned back to me.

"So yeah, how about it babe? You want to come out with both of us or just me?" Kaoru offered though Hiroji protested that he asked first. They started to argue whilst Subaru just stood there and people began to look over, frowning in confusion. If I didn't do something now then their coach might get angry and ask me to leave, or even tell all three of them to sit out so slowly, I spoke up.

"Um…" They stopped and looked at me, blinking slightly as I flushed deeply with embarrassing, covering my hammering heart with a fisted hand as I found the willpower to speak, bowing as I did so. "Thank you very much for your kind offers, but I'm not really very good with strangers. I'm sorry, but I can't go out with either of you because I also have to go home and look after my little brothers." I told them truthfully, feeling that honesty was the best policy, however when I lifted my head they were both staring at me with wide gazes before all at once, they both gushed.

"So cute! You're really adorable, you know that? If you ever change your mind just give me a call!" I blinked, a little startled before I giggled, feeling a little more comfortable now that they had calmed down however this seemed to make them squeal all the more. They're actually real softies and they were fun to chat to, telling me all about how they met Subaru and their interest in sports until coach called them all back. Subaru had been so distracted that he hadn't even had time to eat the energy bar, so he regretfully handed it back to me.

"Sorry about those guys, they're not so bad once they're used to them." He apologised but I shook my head.

"It's alright, I just didn't want you to get in trouble with coach, that's all. Do your best Subaru, I'll be right here!" Wanting to inspire him I clenched my fists determinedly, giving him the most encouraging smile I could stretch across my face and Subaru relaxed, nodding his head.

"Sure thing. You're the greatest, Rikona." He said again and I waved him off, watching as he was assigned aside before he took his place. The game was pretty intense and I watched it closely, leaning over the barrier as everyone gave it their all. Subaru was really awesome, going all out even when he didn't have possession of the ball. He was quick and calculating, probably trying to let his reflexes take over and it really started to show. When he got the ball and started to dribble it up the court I almost yelled out in warning, seeing the fair haired guy coming at him again from the right however this time, Subaru made a fast turn and circled around him, leaving him to stumble in confusion before he reared up, lifting off the ground and tucked the ball into the opposition's hoop. I gasped in awe. "Go Subaru!" I cheered without thinking, jumping up with my fists in the air out of excitement.

I don't think he heard me as he didn't look over but I was okay with that, I didn't want to distract him however as the game continued, I became more and more engrossed. I could see why people got so into their sports now, when you're supporting a particular side you couldn't help but celebrate their successes with them and hold your breath when they faced potential defeat. When the game ended I was gripping onto the barrier with so much intensity that I hadn't realised that my knuckles were pure white. That was so thrilling! More to the point, Subaru's team had won and they were all celebrating together, bumping fists and leaping up in the air as the other team groaned. I felt bad for them but they were also really good, it was a close score after all.

Coach yelled for everyone to calm down and I held my breath, listening as he called up the line up for their next big match. Surely Subaru had improved enough to be on the team, right? When Subaru's name was called out, I saw him straighten up with a grin, thanking coach before he glanced my way where our eyes met. I gave him a thumbs up and he nodded, looking back to coach to listen to him finish his pep talk before sending everyone off.

"Hey Rikona! Remember to give me a call if you ever want to go out for a drink!" Hiroji yelled as he left, waving at me so I returned the gesture, smiling also as Kaoru grinned.

"If Subaru ever pisses you off let us know and we'll set him straight for you, no questions asked!" I laughed a little at that as Subaru came over, looking a little tired and he sat down for a rest, head resting back against the barrier as I pulled out the snacks I'd packed and placed them on his lap, leaning over a little precariously to reach.

"Here, I got the recipes from a sports magazine so I tried a few out. I hope you like them, they're supposed to be really high in protein and calcium, and they'll help you feel a little better." I told him and he looked up at me with a smile.

"Thanks, you sure know how to treat a guy." He said before indulging himself. Either he was too hungry to care what they tasted like or they were pretty good because he ate the entire lot, making me giggle as he then drained the rest of his water. "So what do you want to do? Is there anything you need to do before we head back?"

"Well actually, I was going to stop and pick up something for Yusuke. He passed his maths test with a really good score so I was going to get him a treat of some kind for doing such a great job. We can get you something as well if you want? I think you deserve it after working so hard out there." Subaru contemplated the suggestion before giving a shrug, not really minding about treating himself.

"You being here was reward enough. Let me just hit the showers then I'll be right with you." He said, standing back up and quickly grabbed all his stuff to go to locker rooms so I waited outside for him in the warm sun, thinking about how it was such a nice day. It was definitely getting towards summer, I wonder if we'll do anything over the break as a family? I've never been on a family holiday before, in fact I've never even been abroad. It would be nice to travel someday. "Ready?" I looked around when I heard Subaru and I nodded my head, picking up my back and resting it over my shoulder. "By the way, you look really nice. Is that a series you like or something?" He asked, gesturing to my shirt and I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I like quite a lot of nerdy things, I have a wardrobe full of shirts like this." I admitted, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. "Though Hikaru keeps on promising that he'll take me shopping soon and will have me wearing all kinds of different things. I don't mind being girly, but I feel more comfortable in clothes like these, you know? Feels more natural."

"Well in any case, I think it suits you." Subaru told me honestly and I noticed how relaxed he was around me, he wasn't even blushing that much anymore. "If you feel comfortable dressing your own way then don't let Hikaru push you around. He just likes to use people like mannequins or dolls sometimes."

"I don't mind. In fact Miwa said that she also wants to go shopping with me. Actually, I'm really looking forward to that, I'd like to get to know your mother better." Lifting my head I smiled up at Subaru as I reached up and touched my heart shaped necklace which I hadn't taken off since the wedding. "Can you tell me things about her?"

"Alright, I can do that." He agreed then began to talk about his memories with his mother as we walked into town, me listening intently as he listed off her favourite things such as food and places whilst also mentioning that she hated spiders and things like that. I was glad to hear so much about my new stepmom and Subaru even asked a few questions about my dad. I forgot sometimes, we now have the same parents. It was a little weird but in a good way. We took a train back to town before going to a convenience store where I picked up Yusuke's favourite pudding, spending a little extra to make sure it was a really nice treat whilst Subaru stayed with me.

We walked home together, making light conversation occasionally but we were comfortable enough in each other's company without needing to talk. It was nearing dinner time when we got back and I was instantly pounced upon by Wataru who hugged me tightly. "Welcome home big sis! You were gone such a long time, where were you?"

"I was at Subaru's practice, he was really awesome to watch. I also picked up a treat for Yusuke to congratulate him on passing his test."

"Say what?" Yusuke called out from the balcony above and I looked up, seeing him rush down with large, puppy dog eyes. "You got me something? Really?" He looked so hopeful that I couldn't help but giggle, drawing out the pudding that I knew he liked and instantly his eyes seemed to seemingly sparkly. "No way, how'd you know I liked this one! It's even my favourite flavour."

"I've seen you eat these faster than anything, I guessed that it was something you liked. Good job for doing so well, Suke, I'm really proud of you." I ruffled his hair affectionately, giving him a grin before I then went to help Ukyo prepare dinner, Yusuke already diving into his pudding. Maybe I should have given it to him after dinner, though knowing Yusuke he'd still be hungry even if he had a full meal right now. He sure could eat.

"So we were all thinking, since we haven't actually properly celebrated you joining the family yet that we would all go on holiday during the summer break." Ukyo said to me and I lifted my head, looking at him quickly and he blinked. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that earlier today I was wondering what our plans would be for summer break. It's almost like we were thinking on the same wavelength." I chuckled to myself before continuing to stir the rice.

"Yes, it does a little doesn't it?" He agreed softly before continuing. "Your father mentioned that you liked the beach, so we thought that going for a holiday at a resort would be a good idea. Masaomi knows of a good location where we can get some pretty decent waves for surfing too, if you're interested?" Instantly I was interested, I have so many memories of my dad and I going to beach where he'd teach me to surf, it was actually something I was pretty good at despite my usual unsteady balance, it felt good when the water carried me and I was eager to get back on the waves.

"That would be amazing! I really do love the beach and surfing is a hobby of mine! Can we really go? Can we?" I burst with excitement and Ukyo recoiled slightly, not expecting such an outward reaction from me considering I was usually so quiet and soft spoken. "Will we all go? I'd really like that if we did, I've never had a family vacation with so many people before, it was always just me and my dad so this would be really special." After Ukyo recovered he patted my shoulder, giving a nod of his head as he smiled.

"Then it's decided, I'll let Masaomi know and we'll make all the arrangements. I'm looking forward to it, Rikona." I was too, I really was. It's been a long while since being on holiday, and this time I'll have everyone there with me to share the memories. I feel like all my prayers were being answered, I'm so grateful. I can't even stop smiling at all!


	11. Chapter 11

"So here we are, our own private beach." Masaomi introduced as I stood in my swimsuit and beach shorts, hair pulled back into a high ponytail as my eyes widened, staring at the paradise before me. It was picture perfect and the waves really were perfect for surfing. My fingers were itching to jump into the water.

"Finally, some peace and quiet." Futo sighed as he walked past us all, pushing down his shades on his head to cover his eyes. "If you guys disturb me, I'll put crabs in your beds." He warned as he went to one of the loungers and lay down to relax, making me chuckle at his dry tone before I looked down to Wataru, grabbing his hand.

"Come on Wataru, I'll race you to the ocean!" I challenged before taking off, running straight for the waves as Wataru yelled for me to wait up. I splashed into the waves, kicking up a spray as I began to laugh freely, turning around to splash Wataru a little and he quickly returned with a huge pelt of water directly at me. Yusuke joined us next, dive bombing us both and I shrieked with laughter, grabbing Wataru to keep him above the water as we kept to the shadows. Kaname had gone to get surfboards for those who wanted them and I couldn't wait for them to arrive.

Iori joined Futo in relaxing whilst Masaomi and Ukyo lay out the picnic we'd brought with us, whilst Hikaru simply bathed in the sun. They were all in their swim shorts and shirtless and for a while, I'd been a little embarrassed around them to see them so bare but I quickly adjusted. Subaru tossed us a ball and we all began to play catch in the water, pretty soon getting soaked through and I tugged at my one piece, the black fabric sticking to my skin.

Wataru got tired pretty quickly so I went to join him in building a sandcastle, carefully constructing our castle together with a little moat that Wataru filled with water that he carried from the ocean with a bucket. It was quite an impressive monument and Masaomi insisted on taking a photo so Wataru stood triumphantly over our sandcastle as I smiled towards the camera. Just as the photo was taken, I saw Natsume approaching us, carrying a small beach bag with a change of clothes in. "Oh hey Natsume, I didn't know you were coming." Tsubaki and Azusa weren't able to come because of their jobs as voice actors and they had important roles to practice for, which was a shame but it couldn't be helped. Louis also couldn't get the time off work so had instructed me to have enough fun for the both of them. Apart from then, everyone else seemed to be here.

"Yeah, Ukyo and Masaomi told me to get some time off work for a break and change of scene." He said with a sigh, dropping his back and naturally went to pull off his shirt. I blushed with alarm and quickly looked away, suggesting to Wataru that we decorate our castle with pretty shells and things that we could find on the beach and he instantly approved of the idea. Just as we were about to go off searching, I stole a quick glance towards Natsume and instantly wished I hadn't. He was seriously ripped, coiled muscles smooth and perfect in every way. He's so hot, I can barely look at him! Oh no, I have to act natural but I feel so weird right now.

"Come on big sis, I'm going shell hunting!" Wataru declared so I jumped, instantly chasing after him. Soon enough Wataru's chatter was able to distract me and I felt more at ease, helping him pick up some nice shells to decorate our castle with. There weren't very many to find but we collected enough and by the time we'd finished, Kaname had returned with the surfboards, driving them on the back of a little beach cart and immediately I was on my feet. This was what I've been looking forward to most! "Cool, Kaname's back." Wataru noted and I was already running.

"Hey there little lady, you after your board?" He question and I nodded my head eagerly.

"Sure am! I haven't been on the waves in such a long time and toady is just perfect for a little surfing." I chattered, letting Kaname hand me a board and I beamed, running my hand over the edges to check its condition as Yusuke and Subaru also walked over.

"Wait, you can actually surf?" Yusuke asked as I shook out my hair from its ponytail, still damp from where I'd been playing in the surf and I nodded my head, pulling it back up to secure it from my face.

"Watch and learn Suke, I'll show you how it's done!" I cheered before rushing into the waves. Everyone looked up, watching as I went into the surf on my own and paddled out further into the ocean, keeping my body flat to the board over a few smaller waves before I sat up and secured the lash around my ankle so that I wouldn't lose the board. Slowly I slid my hand into the water, feeling its salty tresses gloss over my skin as I watched the horizon, waiting until finally, the perfect wave came. "Right!" Beaming in anticipation, I paddled forwards before I stood up, quickly gaining my balance as everything came back to me, almost as easily as I breathed.

I surfed the wave, shooting along its smooth surface as it curled over me, gaining speed as I gave a hoot of exhilaration before I began to weave, getting the feel for it back before I managed a tight spin, spiralling over the water before leaning forwards and effortlessly sliding over the water. My body became so naturally attuned to it all that I totally forgot everyone watching me, pulling every stunt I knew and even rode along the crease, finding my balance before all at once I shot into the air, a hand gripping onto the edge of the board with the other held out for balance, turning as I flew before I joined the wave once again, running with it until it washed out and I paddled to the shallows, giving a wave to the others. "What are you waiting for? Come on!" Then with a laugh, I was back out at sea.

Kaname, Yusuke and Subaru all joined me, competitiveness beginning to rise as I almost surfed circles around them, unable to stop laughing from the rushing thrills and familiar feel of the water as it ran over my hand, leaving a trail behind me until I returned to shore, out of breath but still unable to stop smiling. "Wow big sis, you were awesome out there! Can I go surfing too? Can I please?" Wataru pleaded, waving to me and I looked back at the waves, seeing that they were getting a little smaller so I figured it would be safe enough.

"Sure thing Wataru, you can surf with me. Just make sure you do exactly as I tell you, got it?" I instructed and he nodded his head eagerly before paddling out to meet me, letting me lift him up onto my board where I then made him sit still for a while, getting used to the movements before I turned us around and paddled us both a little further out to sea. I didn't go as far as the others, still sticking to the shallows where the smaller waves came towards the shore but even as we glided over the smaller waves Wataru cheered, laughing happily at the new sensation as I guided us along.

Eventually we were all called in for some food so I turned the board around, letting us glide back to the beach where Wataru jumped off and I picked up the board, resting it against some rocks to dry off before unlashing myself from the tie. "Say, you're pretty good darling. You've been keeping secrets from us." Hikaru said to me with a wink and I blushed slightly though I passed it off as just a little sunburn.

"Not really, it's just a hobby. My dad taught me everything I know." I answered before sitting down, wrapping a towel around myself and another around Wataru to keep him warm even though it was hot. I didn't want him to get sick. "This looks amazing, thank you Ukyo."

"It was my pleasure, dig in everyone, there's plenty to eat." He assured us so we all helped ourselves, Yusuke and the other two joining us after they exited the water, dripping wet and I had to hold my breath slightly as Subaru shook out his hair. I really had to get used to this kind of thing. Natsume was really close to me as well, leaning back on his elbows as he helped himself to some food. He really did look good when he was relaxed like that, I can already feel my heart pounding. Ugh, I'm so hopeless. I need to get my thoughts straightened out.

"Futo? Aren't you eating?" Masaomi questioned as Iori came and sat next to me so I smiled and passed him a plate.

"Not hungry." Futo waved dismissively so I reached out for a bottle and threw it at him, smacking him in the shoulder and he almost fell out of his chair in shock, making Kaname and Yusuke laugh loudly as I lifted my head.

"At least drink something, you don't want to get dehydrated out here otherwise it'll take a while for your voice to recover." I reasoned with him simply before grinning mischievously as he shot me a glare.

"I'll get you for that one." He warned but I only giggled, he was so cute when he tried to act so tough. All the same he did what I asked and drank the water, making sure that he stayed hydrated as we all ate. Wataru wanted a nap after eating so much food so I lay out a towel and put up an umbrella, making sure that he had plenty of sun cream on before he curled up and soon began to snore lightly, tired out already. He was so sweet when he was sleeping, almost like a little doll.

"Hey, you want this?" Subaru offered and I looked up, seeing that he was offering me an ice lolly which he'd grabbed out of the cooler.

"Sure, thanks Subaru." I said as I took it from him, resting under the shade with Wataru and enjoyed my cooling treat. The others save for Futo set up a volleyball game and I watched them with quiet chuckles to myself, seeing their rivalries against each other come to fruition as they competitively tried to outdo one another. I glanced across to Futo who had his head resting back, eyes closed behind his shades so I slowly reached forwards and took them off, not wanting them to hurt his face and carefully set them on the table next to him before brushing aside his hair from his eyes. He looked far more innocent when he was sleeping, all that haughtiness and tight lipped expression gone from his face.

Smiling to myself I sat back and rested as well, an arm curling around my head. It was so peaceful here and there were so many birds singing that I couldn't help but feel really happy. This was definitely a good idea, I hope we can come back sometime. "Hey Futo! We're going to race to the rocks out by the cove, you ready?" Yusuke called over and Futo groaned, sitting upright and with a panic, I realised he had never been asleep at all.

"I'm not joining in with your dumb games." He answered, rubbing his face with a scowl however Kaname only proceeded to tease him.

"Scared you're going to lose little brother? Don't worry, it's better to honourably admit defeat rather than lose disgracefully." He said with a wink as I sat up as well, wondering what they were all talking about. Was this a tradition of some kind? I'm not sure that it's a good idea, those waves as starting to look pretty choppy. Futo growled slightly, not wanting to be made a fool of so he got up and stalked over, arms folded.

"You guys are such kids sometimes." He said as they all lined up save for Masaomi, Ukyo and Natsume.

"Are you guys not racing as well?" I questioned and Masaomi shook his head as he came and sat down with Wataru and I along with the others. Forcing myself not to look at Natsume I swallowed the lump back in my throat, all too aware that he was only a few feet away from me.

"No, I'm too old to be racing against those guys, they're always faster than I am so I just like to sit back and watch." He answered, finding a cool drink for himself. "Besides, they're all just trying to outdo each other and I prefer to just relax." I thought this was a very smart decision as I watched the others racing into the surf, Kaname streaking ahead with Subaru quickly catching up. There was a morbid feeling that I couldn't shake, telling me that something was wrong. Those waves really were starting to look a little dangerous.

Ukyo was filming them for amusement, zooming in as everyone raced their way to a cluster of rocks further out to sea past the shallows. Slowly I stood up, my eyes fixed on the water as my stomach continued to churn in knots. They need to come back and quickly, I don't think they should be out there. "Something wrong kiddo?" Natsume asked and I flinched slightly when I heard his voice, glancing back at him.

"N-No, just a feeling." I responded before looking back. The guys had reached the rocks and were now turning back, Subaru and Kaname wrestling for the lead with Yusuke last, however when Futo reached the rocks he didn't turn back, rather he clung to them. What was he doing? He can't stay there, the rocks will get even more dangerous any second now! "Futo! Futo let go! Come back!" I started to shout, everyone jolting in surprise at my sudden cry of desperation but my voice didn't carry far enough.

Slowly a wave began to rise from the horizon, gaining more and more height and I yelped in alarm, watching in horror as it slammed down against the rocks like a heavy handed fist, drawing back to reveal Futo was gone. "FUTO!" My scream penetrated the air as I raced forwards, wasting no time in grabbing my board and streaking out into the waves as the others reached the shore, frowning in confusion as everyone else leaped to their feet, Masaomi yelling for someone to get the coastguard.

Futo resurfaced, struggling against the water as he was dragged further out into the ocean so I turned and aimed directly towards him, powering over the water as I desperately tried to reach him. He sank under again, fingers flickering at the air desperately as if he were trying to claw his way up back above the water. When he didn't resurface again I slowed down to reach the spot where he disappeared then dived down, holding my breath as I fought against the water to reach Futo who had sank quite a fair way. He was as still and lifeless as driftwood, hair floating dreamily as I grabbed him around his chest and kicked upwards, streaming directly upwards towards the surface.

By a stroke of luck we appeared close to my board so I latched onto it, gasping for air as Futo stirred. "Futo! Futo open your eyes! Wake up!" I pleaded but he only gave me a dazed look and, with alarm, I realised that he was bleeding. Blood, blood was dangerous in the water, I don't know what kind of aquatic animals lived around here but if there was a shark nearby it would be able to smell the blood. It looked like Futo had a cut on his head under his hairline but I had no time to worry about that now.

Somehow I managed to shift him onto my back, dragging us both clumsily onto the surfboard however when I turned my head to start swimming back, I saw everyone shouting and yelling at the shore, waving their arms. Alarm gripped my chest as I turned, hearing the ocean's roar as the next wave came bearing down upon us, eclipsing the last one tenfold. There was no way I'd be able to reach the shallows in time, it was coming too fast. The only chance we had was to ride it. "Hold onto me Futo, don't let go whatever you do." I knew he wasn't going to answer but it made me feel better by pretending to be brave. This was to save Futo, I could defeat this monster wave to keep him safe, I have no doubt about it.

Swirling around I ploughed straight for the wave, taking deep breaths as I waited before slowly shifting myself up, having to accommodate Futo's limp form on my back as I held him up with one arm underneath him, using the other to balance. All my practice would come to fruition in this moment. Our lives depended on me being able to ride this wave far enough to get us to the shallows or somewhere safe to wash up. Either way, I was still terrified. Thankfully the noise of the rushing water drowned out the hammering of my heart as we were consumed by the curling foaming mass, forcing me to turn and start to glide through the water and outrace it crashing down upon us.

It was the largest adrenaline rush I had ever experienced and the fear of drowning only made everything sharpen more into focus. The spray of the foam, the bellow of the ocean, Futo's blood as it dripped over my shoulder then rushed away. Thankfully it was only a small trickle, but all the same it wouldn't stop and we had to get it seen to immediately. The wave was powerful, forcing me to my limits as I raced against it, hardly even breathing as I touched its watery folds but it snapped back at me, feeling more like sandpaper than the silk that I was used to.

Everything was happening so quickly that I barely had time to think. We shot out of the curve but the beach soon fell out of sight as all I could see was the curling fangs of the water. I guided us a little higher, wobbling every now and then but refused to fall or topple, Futo's limp arms slung over my shoulders as I made a beeline for the exit. Suddenly the wave crashed upon hitting the shallows and suddenly I was rolling, the board being snatched away from me and I had to grip onto Futo's arms to keep him from disappearing too, pressing my eyes shut until slowly, the water calmed and we were floating. The shallows, we'd made it.

Without hesitation I grabbed Futo under the arms and pulled him up, kicking with strong legs towards the surface and the moment I broke free I sucked in a deep breath of air, crying out as I coughed, expelling the water I had accidentally swallowed before I began to drag Futo onto the beach. He was much lighter than he looked and I didn't have too much trouble apart from my trembling, but he still wasn't moving. The others were already running for us but the moment I had laid Futo down I was tilting back his head and separating his lips, sucking in a deep breath before sharing it with him, feeling his chest rise as I gave him air once, twice, three times.

The terror before seemed like nothing compared to this as I desperately tried to get Futo to breathe, my lips pressed against his firmly to ensure that no air escaped however on the third time, I felt him lurch suddenly. He hacked up the water with huge coughs and I wailed with relief, watching as he propped himself on his elbow to help himself get rid of the saltwater. "R-Rikona?" He gasped, trembling as much as I was with wide, fearful eyes.

"Oh Futo, I'm so glad you're alright." I exhaled, covering my mouth however when I looked again, I saw the tears in his eyes. Instantly he blinked them away, quickly lifting his hand to try and wipe them from his face.

"I'm not crying, it's just…" I flung my arms around him, pulling him into my tight embrace as I hid his face from the others as they raced towards us, yelling our names. There wasn't as much blood now but I could still feel it, but I wanted to hold Futo close and reassure him.

"I know, it's just the water from your hair and the salt. It's okay Futo, I was scared too." I whispered to him and slowly, his hand placed itself around my waist before all at once he broke down, latching onto me tightly as he cried a little into my shoulder. Sometimes I forget, even though he's famous and has a wealth of fans, Futo was still just a boy. A boy who had nearly drowned and I could understand just how terrified he must have been.

"Futo, Rikona!" Masaomi skidded in the sand, quickly pulling Futo back to look at the cut on his head. "It's not deep but we should get you to a hospital, you could be concussed and we need to make sure you haven't broken anything." He said firmly before looking to me as I sat back on my knees, Yusuke and Wataru reaching me with worried yells.

"I'm okay, just a little shaken up." I said, giving a smile as Wataru wailed.

"Big sis! That was so brave but you scared me so much! Don't ever do something so dangerous ever again!" Suddenly I had arms all around me, hugging me tight and I sat there in a stupor, feeling Wataru, Yusuke and Kaname all fussing over me as Masaomi held onto Futo who was beginning to look a little dazed.

"I'm…I'm sorry everyone." I apologised but Yusuke only gave me a gentle shake.

"Don't apologise you idiot, we were just so worried about you! Facing a wave like that, you could have both drowned!" I was a little confused, looking up at everyone with innocence.

"But I had to get Futo, he couldn't swim." I reasoned and they all looked at one another before they all relaxed a little. Masaomi and Iori helped carry Futo back to get to a car with Kaname cancelling the air rescue whilst Ukyo was speaking in a quick voice on the phone to the coastguard, leaving me with Wataru, Yusuke, Subaru, Hikaru and Natsume. Only then did everything smack me all at once, making me lurch forwards and I ploughed a hand into the sand as the foaming surf washed around us, the trembling returning as my lungs began to drag short gasps into my body.

"Oh my, look at you doll, you're all in shock." Hikaru fussed as Yusuke gripped onto my shoulders, trying to steady me as my other hand lifted to touch my head. That wave, it had been the most terrifying thing I've ever had to face in my life but somehow I did it whilst carrying Futo on my back. The sensible part of me said that I shouldn't ever try to go back out into the water ever again, however I was still too stunned to even think about that right now. That feeling when the water hit us, it was like being thrown into a brick wall.

"Calm down Rikki, you're okay now. We're all here and we got you, okay?" Yusuke tried to reassure me. "Can you stand up?" Knowing that I couldn't I shook my head but I did my best to brush it off, lifting my head again as I forced a smile to my face, looking up at everyone.

"I'll be okay, I guess the adrenaline really did its job. I'm shaking so much that I can't even move my legs."

"I'll carry you back big sis, just jump on my back!" Wataru offered so I turned my smile to him, reaching out and ruffling his hair.

"Thanks Wataru, you're the sweetest but I'll be fine in a few moments, I just need to catch my breath." Ukyo called out, saying that we should probably call it a day and no one objected so I was carefully ushered to my feet, Yusuke and Subaru holding my hands as Kaname returned.

"You sure know how to leave a guy breathless little lady." He announced as I managed to get up onto my feet but my legs still felt numb and rather unreliable, even with both Yusuke and Subaru there to support me. "Do you want me to carry you? I'd be happy to hold you in my arms all the way back to the house if that's what you need." He suggested but Natsume knuckled him on the shoulder, looking deeply unimpressed.

"Knock it off, the kid just nearly drowned. Can you at least try to be a little sensitive?" There's that word again, kid. Does he really only see me as a child? I guess I don't blame him, I mean look at me. I'm so shaken up that I want to do nothing else but cry and hug someone, but isn't that natural? Perhaps not for him, I bet Natsume would be able to brush it off like it was nothing and just soldier on home. Well if he can do it then so can I, I'm not going to let him keep on seeing me as a kid.

"Thanks, but I'm okay now. I just want to go back and take a bath. The salt is starting to dry on my back." I muttered, bowing my head slightly as I gently brushed off Yusuke and Subaru, giving them a secure nod of my head to promise that I was alright. Despite my shaking I managed to walk forwards, Wataru hurriedly catching up and he held onto my hand and I gripped it for comfort, though not too tightly in case I hurt him. The others all followed in silence, glancing at me with worry so I put up a front for them, not wanting to make them worry like last time. "Aside from that last part, wasn't today fun? We should come back tomorrow and build more sandcastles or fly some kites if the wind is good."

"I like flying kites! That sounds like a great idea big sis."

"You think so? I'm glad." I smiled down at Wataru, giving a soft laugh as Yusuke folded his hands at the back of his head, walking near to us whilst kicking up some of the sand.

"I'd rather go see if they're doing any activities at the resort nearby. Usually they do cool stuff like rock climbing or there's the skate park. That was cool last time, I hope it hasn't been trashed since we last came here." Between myself, Yusuke and Wataru we kept up a bright air around us though the others didn't contribute much. I could feel them staring into my back and it took all I had in me to ignore it. The moment we got back to our rented accommodation I disappeared into my room to grab my wash things before claiming the bathroom.

From there on it was all a blur, keeping myself busy and occupied so that I was distracted for as long as possible. I washed my hair and scrubbed away the salt, making sure that I was fresh and the smell of the ocean didn't linger too much once I had finished. When I stepped out of the bath, however, everything went blurry and numb, making me inhale sharply before I crashed to the floor, barely having just wrapped a towel around me. I lay there for a moment, curled up and staring. I almost died today. Futo and I nearly died. That was so terrifying, we could have been swept away by the waves and our bodies never found again.

With the door safely locked and no one there to listen, I safely cried away my shock, trembling on the floor until finally, I felt a little better and I could get up, get dressed then go ask how Futo was doing, pretending like nothing had ever even happened.


	12. Chapter 12

Despite the huge incident on our first day of our vacation, nothing else major occurred unless you count Kaname secretly spiking Yusuke's chicken wings with hot sauce which almost burned his tongue. Futo came back the next morning after being released from hospital, a bandage wrapped around his head however very strangely, he blanked me for the most part and said only a very rare few words to me. I just assumed that he was still in shock as well and needed time to recover, so I let him have his space.

Although I loved the beach and I surfed almost every day, it was nice to return home to familiar surroundings. Subaru's game was coming up soon so he was preparing for that and Yusuke was working hard on his studying, asking for help every now and then if he didn't understand something or needed me to check over his work. One person who started to act a little weirdly around me, however, was Natsume. He kept on glaring at me intently, watching me very closely over the holiday and it made me more than a little uncomfortable. What was his problem? It was as if I always had something on my face or a bug on my back that he refused to tell me was there.

One day, though, when there were very few people in the house I was sitting in my room reading when I heard a knock on the door. "It's open." I called and someone entered, however it wasn't anybody I expected. "Futo! It's good to see you, how are you?" I questioned, rising from my bed and putting my book down however he looked rather uncomfortable, arms folded and his head turned away from my slightly. "Is there something the matter Futo? Does your head hurt still?" I asked him with worry.

"I'm fine, I'm just here to settle things, okay?" He answered back rather snappily and I pulled back, a little confused as to what he meant. "I wanted to thank you. Saving me from drowning and all, although it was stupid and reckless and you almost got yourself killed, I appreciate it." He began, lifting his head proudly as I sank back down onto my bed, listening to him quietly. "I may have been a jerk brushing you off like I have, but for a guy to be rescued by a girl, it feels pretty insulting. I haven't told anyone but the reason why I couldn't swim back is because my leg suddenly got cramp and I couldn't move, but that wave came and…" He flinched slightly, remembering being hit by that wave and I knew exactly how I felt. I was rather glad he was unconscious for the most part, otherwise he might be able to sleep very well at night. "But then I got thinking, that after you pulled me up from the water and I passed out you were left to deal with everything after that, and that by comparison, what you went through was probably way more terrifying than what I experienced."

Futo reached into his pocket and pulled something out, a small velvet box which he placed squarely in the centre of my palm. "Now don't get your hopes up, it's not a ring." He said with a wink and I almost chuckled. Now he sounded more like his usual self. Opening the lid I found a pair of very delicate amethyst studs with smooth stoned droplets, like tiny teardrops. "I noticed my mother had bought you that necklace and you wear it all the time, so this is just something extra to go with it but don't expect this to happen all the time, this is just a one off-!" My arms swept around him, drawing him close to me. We were pretty much the same height however I was just a little bit taller, so I was easily able to nestle his head into my neck as my hands locked him against me.

"Thank you Futo." I said to him before drawing back and brushing my lips against his temple, making him freeze before going bright red as I smiled a little smugly, holding the earrings in my hands as I sat back down on my bed heavily.

"I…uh…ahem. Not like I care, but you could have at least thanked me with a proper kiss." He said stiffly, folding his arms once more and I laughed, giggling behind my hand politely. "What's so funny?!"

"Futo, you're really cute when you try to act so tough." Giving him a wink I reached across to my desk where I picked up a certain notebook, drawing it to me before I held it out to him. "Here, you can read a few of these if you like. It's about time I got some feedback on my work." With a soft voice I leaned back, watching as he took my poem book in surprise before he sat down on my bed, making himself comfortable before intently beginning to read through my poems. By this point I didn't feel so nervous, I knew at least with Futo that he'd tell me the truth about what he thought though he may disguise it with teasing.

He took his time, carefully absorbing each word and slowly, I began to see changes in his expression. He was engrossed but also slightly bewildered, reading over a few of them more than once and his eyes widened every now and again. Twiddling my thumbs with my earrings set safely on my desk I watched him, patiently waiting until finally snapping the book shut. He gave a long sigh. "Well, some of them still need a lot of work but one or two of them aren't half bad." He conceded and I relaxed, gratefully smiling at him. "Do you mind if I take this for a while? I have a few ideas about some new songs I've been trying to put together, I think I might be able to tweak these a bit to suit what I need."

"Of course, use them how you like." I agreed, nodding my head before I blushed, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Just please don't tell anyone that I wrote them. If anyone found out then I'd be so embarrassed. They are very personal still, so don't abuse them at all."

"Don't worry my sweet sister, I'll take good care of them." He promised before getting up to leave, taking my notebook with me. Just as he reached out to open the door he stopped, facing it as if in deep thought. "Actually, there's something that's been bothering me." Announcing it so suddenly like that and in such a serious tone that I was actually kind of worried. "That day on the beach you gave me air, I think it's only right that I return the favour." Suddenly he had turned around and walked back to me, eyes sharp and focused but before I could question him, Futo had crossed the space of my room and kissed me firmly on the lips, gripping my chin in an unexpectedly strong grasp as I stared at him, his eyes looking directly back into mine as he held me there for a brief moment, a slight gleam in his dark depths before he pulled back. "That's one, I'll save the other two favours for another time."

"Wh-What?" I breathed, staring at him in shock but he only smirked, turning and leaving me frozen in place, my chin still lifted slightly where he had pulled me forwards to meet him. Did he just…kiss me? I knew Futo liked to tease and play games but that was taking it a little too far, wasn't it? Pressing a hand against my heated face I sighed. That Futo, sometimes I think all that fame has gone to his head a little too much.


	13. Chapter 13

After that kiss in my room Futo hadn't been seen for a while. Though I worried it for a few days afterwards I pushed it to the back of my mind, focusing on my chores and helping look after everyone else. "Ah! There's my favourite girl in the whole wide world." Tsubaki announced as he appeared behind me where I was sweeping up the path to our apartments. "You know that's Subaru's job, right?"

"I know." I nodded my head, turning around to face him. "But his game is coming up soon and he had extra practice, so I offered to take over for him in exchange for him doing the dishes later. It seemed like a fair trade to me, it's nice to get outdoors every now and then." I said, lifting my head to look up at the clear skies. "After this I'm running an errand for Ukyo, is there anything you want me to pick up for you?"

"Well now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind a couple of those sodas that I like, the others keep on drinking them before I can get to them and it really bums me out." Tsubaki said with a smile and I chuckled. I'd heard the arguments even from my room so of course I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Sure, I'll pick up some just for you Tsubaki." He conveyed his thanks but then just looked at me, making me tilt my head slightly, wondering what he was thinking about. "Is there something wrong, Tsubaki? You're staring at me." Blinking quickly Tsubaki shook his head, placing a hand on his lean hips as he chuckled.

"No, no, I was just thinking how pretty you look today. You're wearing a really cute top, I like it." I looked down at the loose flannel shirt I was wearing, thinking it was nothing special. It was even a little stained with paint from where I'd helped dad redecorate this one time, they'd never really washed out. "But I think you'd look even cuter wearing a sundress or something. It is the weather for it." He reasoned and I didn't disagree that the weather was perfect for a dress, but I was fine the way I was.

"Maybe, who knows?" I said with a slight tease to my voice. "You're starting to sound like Hikaru, you know."

"Well, you can't blame a guy for fantasising." Tsubaki answered and I didn't know how to respond to this so I looked away awkwardly. "I'm only teasing you Rikki, don't take me too seriously." He laughed, pinching my cheek delicately before he began to walk away. "I won't be back for dinner tonight as I'm meeting up with my manager and some associates, Azusa will be there too."

"Alright, take care Tsubaki." I called after him, giving him a wave before I returned to sweeping. Once I was done I put the stuff away before heading into town, carrying my list of things to get which was a little extensive but they were all reasonably small things. Everyone seemed to have their own list, though Wataru's consisted mainly of sweets and I had made him pick just one for me to get him for next time he earns a special reward. He agreed to those terms and Masaomi had mentioned how accommodating Wataru was with me, as usually he was far more stubborn with the rest of them. I said that it was probably down to my sisterly charm.

As I walked I looked towards my favourite café and my stomach instantly felt like it could do with a bracing cup of tea. Just as I was about to turn towards it, I heard someone call my name. "Rikona?" Lifting my head I saw Natsume had stopped in front of me, seemingly just as surprised as I was to bump into one another. Instantly I blushed, gulping down a breath of air as I quickly looked away. He was still looking at me with that hardened gaze. Had I done something to anger him? I can't remember doing anything specific.

"Oh, hey Natsume." I greeted before lifting my head, managing to steel myself against his gaze a little as I politely pointed towards the café. "I was just about to get a drink. Do you want to join me?" Natsu glanced at his watch for a few minutes before nodding his head.

"Sure, we should talk about things anyway." He said rather ambiguously and I lowered my head slightly, feeling the back of my neck flush also as his hand reached out and rested against my back, opening the door for me to step inside first. We found a quiet table for two and sat down, neither of us glancing at the menu as the waitress came over. "I'll just have a coffee if you don't mind. Rikona?"

"Camomile tea, please. Large cup." I recited, knowing exactly what I wanted and the waitress smiled.

"No problem, anything else you just wave me over." She said before hurrying away. Despite it being early afternoon the shop was rather quiet which surprised me. Usually this sort of time meant it was quite busy, maybe it's because it was the middle of the week or something. I sighed softly, unsure of what to say so I decided to go with something that would be practical.

"I finally managed to advance through the game." I announced and Natsume looked up at me. "When you gave me that advice after speaking with your technicians, I was able to get through to the boss fight, though it still took a little time to go through all the kinks. I actually finished the game just the other day and I'm already anticipating its release, I'll definitely buy myself a copy for myself." Giving him a smile Natsume's expression didn't change once as he spoke.

"That's good, I'll sort out that area and make sure that we make it easier for players to play. It's not just you that's been having problems so it's a glitch we'll have to straighten out before release. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, the others took a while longer to reach that level so we would have only just been hearing about it now, which would have brought up complications." He said, closing his eyes. "Any other problems?"

"Well, not really. I found some levels more difficult than others but I think that's just because I maxed out certain abilities too soon rather than keeping it all balanced, so some things like my accuracy and speed were far better than my strength. It really was a great game to play, I'm actually on my way to the store to go look for your other releases."

"Good, I'm glad you enjoyed it." He said just as our drinks arrived, prompt and piping hot.

"Here you go, please enjoy!" The waitress smiled though when she cast a longing look over at Natsume my grip tightened on the handle of my cup without me knowing, watching her for a moment before I pulled my gaze away. Natsume was looking right at me intensely. I faltered slightly, giving a rushed smile before I took a sip of my drink. It was good, just like always and it instantly made me feel a little better.

"So…have you been up to much other than work Natsume?" I asked but he shook his head, not giving any further answer than that. I frowned slightly, unsure of how to proceed. He was giving me that look again, stern and almost unforgiving. That's it, I've had enough of this. "Have I done something to make you dislike me, Natsume?" I asked and this definitely took him by surprise.

"Of course not, what makes you say that?" I arched an eyebrow as I deadpanned.

"You're looking at me as if you want to bite my head off." He balked, putting his coffee back down from where he was about to drink it before he gave a quiet chuckle, closing his eyes with a sigh.

"I guess I do come across like that sometimes, my brothers used to tell me that I always had a stern face." He admitted before rubbing his face slightly, trying to relax a little so that he didn't look so intimidating. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you nervous or anxious like that. It's just ever since that day at the beach, I've noticed that you're not exactly okay." This time it was me who was taken aback, not expecting him to come out with something like that. "You put on smiles and fool everyone else, but it's just like the first time, only this time you were quicker to put up your walls."

"How do you do that? We've only seen each other a handful of times and you can understand all that?" I couldn't help but smile, this time it felt much more natural as I leaned my cheek into my hand. "You're really something else, Natsume." He looked away quickly, stern face once more returning but I began to understand him a little more. That face was just one he wore to mask his emotions. I think he liked to keep to himself, which was possibly why he lived alone as well. Being a triplet can't be too easy, having to share the same birthday with two brothers, whilst also constantly having to distinguish yourself from one another. Tsubaki and Azusa were identical but Natsume was still fairly similar.

"Thanks. Anyway, I guess you could say I've just been a little concerned about you. It's not healthy to supress your anxieties like that. If you need to talk then talk. I said I'd always make time for you, right?" That's right, he did. Natsume probably has somewhere he's supposed to be right now yet he'd taking a chunk out of his busy day just to catch up with me a little. I'll admit, I glowed inwardly.

"Well to be honest, I have been hiding away my feelings a little. I mean, the first time was scary enough seeing as I'd never been struck before, it was a huge shock and I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that some guys were just like that, considering that all of you are so kind and understanding." I began, thinking back to the guy who had backhanded me. My cheek stung slightly as if wincing at the memory. "But all that now seems obsolete when I faced that big wave. The adrenaline kept me from freezing up like a usually do, and I also knew that I had Futo to think of. I didn't want him to get hurt, all I could think about was getting him somewhere safe."

"That's a lot to take in when you only have a few moments to think." Natsume observed, sipping at his drink so I did the same. "It was a miracle you managed to ride that wave at all considering your board wasn't the right type for two people to surf it, let alone get back to shore whilst dragging Futo with you."

"I can be pretty determined when I want to be." I shrugged, smiling to myself as I held my cup up to my face, letting the smell of the tea waft towards my nose. "But it's not like I don't get that what I was doing was dangerous and life threatening, I just didn't considerate it at the time, it didn't feel real, almost like it was all just a terrible nightmare but then the wave come down on us both and I couldn't reach the air for a while." I shuddered slightly. Ukyo had actually captured it all on camera having been filming at the time and I'd watched it secretly. It was just as scary to observe as it was to go through it, I felt bad for the others. "I know I was lucky and so was Futo, but I just couldn't deal with the shock at the time. I didn't want to make the others worry and it still felt like it was just a nightmare and that I'd wake up any second." Shaking my head I drank some more of my tea then put it down, drumming my fingers against my face. "And I'll admit, I wasn't alright for a while but I'm okay now. We're both alive, right? So that's all that matters."

"All the same, if you ever start to feel like you're going back into shock or you need to talk, just call me. You have my number right?" I nodded, thinking to the business card he'd given me. I'd already put the number in my phone, I just hadn't had an excuse to text or call him yet so it remained unused. "Good, it's there for you to use any time, even in the middle of the night, so don't hesitate to contact me." I looked at Natsume for a while, reading his face carefully and he arched an eyebrow, curious.

"You're a very protective kind of guy, aren't you Natsume?" I recognised, beginning to piece together the kind of guy that he was. It was a little tricky but I think I'm starting to understand more about him the more time we spent together. "And you care a lot about your brothers, probably more than you care about yourself so you let people blame you for things, or you punish yourself for things that go wrong believing it's your fault." His eyes were wide open like huge glimmering orbs and instantly I knew I'd hit the hammer on the nail so I reached out, standing slightly out of my seat to teasingly ruffle his hair before smoothing it back. "What happened wasn't your fault, Natsume, so don't go blaming yourself anymore, 'kay? If you don't take more care about yourself, then you'll leave me no choice but to care about you twice over to make up for it." Drawing back I nonchalantly went back to drinking my tea, taking a long sip before I hummed happily. "This is good."

Natsume didn't say much more after that but he kept on giving me strange looks, glancing my way every now and then as I finished my tea then got up to pay for us both. "Why don't you let me get this?" Natsume offered, finishing his coffee as well but I shook my head, ruffling his hair again.

"Let me treat my big brother to his coffee as a thank you for all that you've done for me. It's just a small thing, but it'll make me happy." Natsume didn't really have any kind of comeback to that so I hurriedly paid before he could change his mind. He thanked me for the drink then told me he'd return the favour some other time and I couldn't help but feel like that that was a promise that we'd go out again together. I fluttered all over at the thought. "Take care Natsume! Work hard!" I called after him, giving him a wave as he walked off and he stopped, looking back at me and I saw a small flicker of a smile before he continued on his way.

I turned around and walked in the opposite direction, heading further into town and began to pick up the things we all wanted and needed. I'd just about got everything off the list when I saw a flash of red hair down the street and instantly I recognised it as Yusuke, but he should still be in school. "Suke!" I called out and hurried after him however when his head turned, I almost dropped everything I was holding when I saw he was holding a blood stained tissue against his nose which was still bleeding a little. "Suke! What happened? You got a nosebleed?"

"Yeah, something like that." He said, looking away sullenly so I put down my bags and turned his face back to me, tentatively pulling away his hand to take a closer look. It looks like it had been a bad bleed though what struck me as odd was the way there was a little redness to his face. Not his usual blushing redness, but a slight imprint just by his nose. Had he been in a fight? "I'm fine, okay? So just let it go."

"You should be in school Suke, this isn't exactly going to look good on your report." I informed him, placing my hands on my hips before I sighed, unable to even remotely get mad at him. "Well, I won't tell anyone if that's what you want, but you first have to clean up and help me with these bags, okay? By the time I finish shopping, people won't find it suspicious if we walk home leisurely." Yusuke looked at me quickly and I winked, a slight cheekiness to my expression and he instantly looked grateful, nodding his head in agreement.

He found a bathroom to clean himself up from the blood and I inspected his clothes, noticing a few speckles here and there but for the most part it was unnoticeable so I told him to go change the moment he got home and I'd wash the blood out for him. "Thanks Rikki, I really appreciate this."

"Hey, this is for my benefit, after all, you're carrying the bags now." I answered to make him feel a bit better about it and he smiled, picking up a few of the bags whilst I carried the rest before we headed to a videogame store where we browsed, searching through their stocks and I picked up a few of the games from Natsume's company as I said I would. It was still a little early to head back so I led Yusuke around town, keeping away from the subject of school for the time being as I sensed that he wasn't quite ready to open up about it yet.

I made up a few more excuses to go into various shops until I checked the time, seeing that Yusuke would have broken up from school about now so we could go home without anyone noticing that he was early or anything. "Hey Rikki? Thanks again." Yusuke said to me, looking down at his feet slightly with a slightly melancholy look. This isn't like Yusuke, something was definitely wrong. For a while I said nothing, watching him closely before I faced forwards and began to talk.

"You know, it's never easy to fit into every social group or get along with every person that you meet." I began, thinking that I had a vague idea about what was going on with Yusuke though I was not absolutely certain quite yet. "And sometimes no matter how hard you try, people just refuse to accept you for who you are, but I found that this usually means it's because that you possess something that they're jealous of, and because of that envy they want to punish you for it by any means necessary." His sharp eyes darted across to look at me but I continued walking with my head looking where I was going. "But there's no need for you to have to try and handle things on your own, Suke. If I can help you in any way then I want to. I want to see you succeed and achieve your dreams, and I refuse to allow anyone to hold you back." Looking across to him I smiled. "You're a really awesome guy, so don't let anyone punish you for that."

"I…" He blushed, looking down again though his shoulders relaxed slightly, thinking over my words. "Thanks." He mumbled and I giggled. He's still so shy around other girls, it's so adorable. We returned home and Yusuke quickly handed everything over to me so that he could go change. Once he had changed he put his blood spattered shirt in my room for me to wash for him later when no one else was about, scrubbing at it by hand before I was sure I'd got rid of the evidence. I didn't want to put pressure on Yusuke, but I would definitely be keeping a closer eye on him from now on.


	14. Chapter 14

The usual sounds of the court now rang with the murmur of the audience who cheered and encouraged their relevant teams, eating hot popcorn and slurping drinks as I stood watching the game in my very own Meiji university basketball shirt that the coach had given me for his favourite fan, as he now called me. I was on the edge of my seat, mouth dropped open as I watched everything that Subaru and his team did to keep the ball and travel it down to the opposition's hoop. At the last minute the guy in possession launched it, passing it to Subaru and immediately I was up on my feet, cupping my hands around my mouth to shout. "Go Subaru! Go!" His pace quickened, he dodged, my heart was in my mouth as he leaped up and flicked his wrist, sending the ball in a smooth arc before firmly placing it in the net, scoring for his team. "Woo!"

Celebrating came naturally for me and I didn't mind the other people around me as they too jumped up to their feet and cheered along with me, sharing our support for Meiji. Subaru was sweating and breathing heavily but looked pleased all the same, his eyes glancing through the crowds in search of me but he was quickly forced back into place as the game reset. He seemed unstoppable today, moving like a thundering tornado through his opponents without breaking stride. I felt so proud and I continued to cheer for him every time he got the ball though he probably couldn't hear me as my voice was so small in comparison to everyone else's who were roaring with everything they got.

When half time came I lifted my hand as Subaru searched the crowds for me, letting him know that I was here and when he spotted me, I saw him visibly relax. He came over to the barrier and grabbed a drink and his towel, flinging it over his shoulder and I slipped out of my seat and padded down the stairs to greet him, smiling breathlessly as I flung myself at the barrier with a laugh, leaning over to speak to him properly. "You look so great out there Subaru, you're really giving it your all!" I praised, the buzz of the fans filling me with their overwhelming energy. "How do you feel? Are you tired?"

"I'm alright, I'm just a little concerned. We're starting to slack and I need to focus a little more otherwise I'll slip up. We're dead even at the moment and the opposition are beginning to draw on our weaknesses." He worried, drinking more from his bottle and I blinked, feeling concerned. This was an important game for Subaru, he'd told me that there would be important people here scouting for players to play professionally. Subaru can't afford to lose this game, he has to impress those scouts. Reaching out for his towel I drew it from his shoulder and gently began to pat the sweat away from his face.

"Well then, we'll just have to find their own weaknesses, right? I'm still not very good at understanding all the game rules and how it all works, but I'm fairly decent at noticing things about people." I offered before nodding towards the other side where the visiting players were resting up a little. "They're all pretty good but from what I can see they don't switch around their positions much. The ones that keep on going for the shots are all really fast and can jump pretty high whilst the ones defending the hoop seem to be bigger and tough to get around." Thinking carefully I planted a fist gently into my palm. "So it stands to reason that if you were to pitch your fast players against the ones defending, they might be able to get behind their defences before they can get to the ball, and for those shooting for your own hoop, if you switch up your defence every now and again, it's likely that they'll get confused and be taken by surprise."

"It's worth a shot. Any other advice for me?" He asked whilst grinning, almost leaning into my touch as I finished wiping away the sweat from his face. I thought for a moment, looking over the opposition before I recalled something I'd witnessed earlier.

"That guy over there, the one with his back to us?" I indicated softly as I lowered my voice and Subaru glanced before nodding. "He's the one who keeps on snatching the ball. Remember what I said about that other guy who kept on taking the ball from you?" I leaned in closer until my lips were closer to his ear so that he could hear me properly, the crowds cheering as the mascots came out to do a cheer. "He _always_ comes from the right." Subaru's head lifted slightly before he nodded, his hand lifting up to curl around the back of my head gently.

"Thanks Rikki. I'll be sure to win this." He promised and I nodded my head, drawing back with a grin.

"Of course you will, you're Subaru Asahina and you have your number one fan to cheer you on." I ruffled his hair, eyes glinting with excitement. "Just don't overthink it, okay? Let your body do all the work and everything will turn out great. You can do it." His eyes gazed at me for a little longer as I pulled back my hand and leaned back from over the barrier, seeing that it was almost time to return to the game.

"Hey Rikona! Will you give me a kiss for good luck?" Hiroji yelled with a wave and I laughed, all too used to his antics as I waved back at him.

"Kiss your sweaty head? No way!" The others teased him, punching his shoulder at his rejection but it was all in good humour. I didn't notice at the time but all the while, Subaru had never once taken his eyes off me, so when I looked back I started backwards a little, surprised to see him almost in a trance like state. "Subaru?" He didn't answer, at least not verbally. As the call came for everyone to get back on the court but he didn't move for a brief moment.

That is until he suddenly grabbed onto the top of the barrier and jumped up, making me blink in alarm as he hoisted himself off the ground and claimed my lips in a kiss, hot and salty as I stood there, frozen in shock and several people awed around us though his teammates all wolf whistled. I went bright red from embarrassment, everything happening in a quick blur as Subaru sustained himself for a brief second or two before he dropped back down and walked confidently back onto the court as I blinked after him.

What was that about? Was it meant for luck? He could have at least asked or warned me or something! The crowds were growing wild, singing and cheering as Subaru returned to the court, saying a quick few words to the coach before the team arranged themselves into a new formation. My heart wasn't fluttering at all but I did feel a little nauseous, deeply uncomfortable by my situation. Somehow I managed to stumble back to my seat, sitting down again as I remained bright red in shock. Subaru just kissed me. Lip to lip contact. Just now. It wasn't all bad, I mean it could have been worse but all the same, it just didn't feel right to me, just like how it hadn't felt right when Futo did it.

The game started and I blinked, forcing myself to focus and soon enough, the game distracted me enough that I could forget about Subaru kissing me for a while. His team did in fact begin to do better, their defence becoming stronger as they switched positions at the last minute, throwing off the ones aiming to shoot for the hoop and that hesitation meant that the ball got snatched. Subaru got the ball passed to him and I gasped, rising up onto my feet once more as I watched in anticipation.

Suddenly the fast guy from the other team came directly for him and my hand jumped to my mouth, heart almost breaking out of my chest as he came closer and closer. Faster than a snake Subaru turned to his left, moving with agile steps to circle around the guy with the ball still drumming on the ground before he bolted forwards, crossing the line before he leaped up with all his strength, giving a practiced flick of his wrist before watching the ball arc towards the hoop. It bounced on the rim and everyone held their breath, watching in anticipation as the ball circled around the hoop edge before finally dropping into the net.

The resulting cheer was deafening and I exhaled with relief, allowing my heart to calm slightly as I glanced to the clock. Not long left, all they had to do was keep themselves in the lead. Although Subaru had taken me by surprise, I still wanted to support him so I cheered with all my might, waving my hand and clapping every time he scored another point. The moral was high for Meiji university and when time finally ran out, the score was heavily in our favour. He did it! Subaru pulled the team through! I couldn't even begin to describe the rush of emotions that swamped through me as people began to flood onto the courts, friends and family running to lift up the team and celebrate, cheering loudly though I remained standing in my seat.

I really was glad for Subaru, I was content to just see his overjoyed expression from a distance. It was good to see him doing so well, after hitting a rough patch for a while things really weren't looking up for him but he has pulled himself together and I was positive that the scouts would be impressed with him. As the team were carted off to the showers after receiving their trophy people began to filter out, still buzzing either with disappointment or victory but I hardly noticed, sitting in my seat until mostly everyone had gone so that I wouldn't get swept up in the crowds.

Once the coast was clear I picked up my back and followed the others, the janitors already starting on the cleaning and I bowed to the person holding the door for me, thanking them politely before I went and sat outside on a stone slab that elevated a line of pushes off the ground. I sat there and I waited, and I waited. Shouldn't Subaru be coming out of the changing room by now? Maybe everyone was still overwhelmed by their win and were talking it over with one another. I'll wait a little longer.

Still, an entire hour ticked by without any sign of Subaru and I started to grow concerned. Did something happen? I haven't seen anyone else come out at all except for a rowdy group of teenagers that had disappeared into the town. It was still light out but the sky was growing paler and it was much colder now that the sun had gone down and I hadn't brought a jacket or anything with me. I shivered. I'd tried calling Subaru a few times but it eventually went through to voicemail, leaving me stumped as to what had gone on. Maybe I should politely ask someone from the changing rooms where Subaru was. If he'd gone on without me then he could have at least texted. When I eventually heard someone walking towards me I lifted my head but once again I was disappointed. It was just a stranger. Looks like I might be going home alone after all, I hope Ukyo won't mind me accidentally standing him up when I promised I'd help with dinner. I sent him a quick message to let him know I was on my way, not wanting him to worry before I exhaled, dropping my phone back into my bag.

"Some game, huh?" Instantly a jolt of electricity shot through my spine and I looked around, seeing Natsume standing there casually, watching me quietly.

"Yeah, it was something else." I agreed, rubbing my arm where I could feel the cold. "I was just on my way home, where are you headed?" Standing up I walked towards him a little, standing a couple of feet away as he continued to watch me with that hard gaze of his.

"I'll be heading back to my place." He answered before glancing towards the building where the game had been held. I hadn't known Natsume was coming, did he intend to surprise Subaru? I always got the impression that they didn't really get along and Kaname told me that it was actually over basketball that they fell out. "So, Subaru not come to get you yet?"

"No, maybe he went out with his team to celebrate. I don't blame him, he should take some time to relax a little. He's definitely earned that much." There was something behind Natsume's empty gaze that felt a little wrong, like he was being purposefully reserved and trying to hide his thoughts from being expressed through his feelings. "Well, it was nice to see you Natsume. You should tell Subaru you were here, I'm sure he'd appreciate you support him." Turning as I lifted my hand in farewell, I made to leave, wanting to get as far away from him and that empty gaze as possible but I heard him come after me, long strides closing the gap before his hand reached out and brushed against my shoulder, asking me to stop.

"You must be cold like that. Will you let me drive you home?" He offered, gaze warming a little and I observed him for a moment. He was very temperamental with his emotions and how he expressed them. I think he bottled up a lot of it inside him rather than coming out and telling people exactly what he felt. Though usually I would jump at the chance to be alone with him, I was too much in confusion within myself to be able to manage such an awkward duration of time so I shook my head.

"I'm fine, after all that excitement and so many people I think I need the fresh air. I tend to get headaches if I get too warm." This was the truth, it had been rather stuffy in there and it did make me lightheaded, but my head was spinning around and around like a basketball on Subaru's finger and he was the one that kept on spinning me. Why were men so confusing? "But thank you though, I appreciate the offer." This time when I faced my back to him and turned away, Natsume instead slid his jacket off his back and placed it around my shoulders, its warmth instantly making me feel a little better inside.

"At least wear this. I'll come get it back some other time." I think he realised that I needed some time to myself and I felt my heart warm to him even more at the consideration. He really was an understanding person. "Call if you need anything and make sure you text me when you get home, so I know you're safe." Nodding my head I said nothing more, looking up at him for a moment longer before I turned away, pulling the jacket a little closer to me. It smelled good. Just like Natsume.


	15. Chapter 15

By the time I got home it was dark out and I had had to reassure Azusa that I really was on my way back and that I was just running behind schedule. When he asked whether or not I wanted dinner, I found I wasn't hungry so I declined with my apologies. I was tired and I just wanted to sit in my room a while I headed straight there, sending a text to Natsume to tell him I was home just like he asked. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed for a little while, however as I approached my room I saw someone leaning dependently against the wall, slowly making their way towards their room.

"Suke!" I darted forwards and the moment I saw Yusuke's face my hands jumped to cover my mouth, staring at him in horror at his bloodied and bruised face. There was no way we were going to be able to hide this and he was gripping his ribs as if they hurt, making me worry all the more. "Suke…what happened to you?" He shook his head, not wanting to talk about it but I didn't take no for an answer. I grabbed him firmly by the hand and pulled him into my room.

"Hey, I'm fine. I just need to lie down for a little while." In response I pushed him into a sitting position on my bed, giving him a stern look as I pointed at him.

"Stay there. Move a muscle and I'll tie you down myself." I warned and he gulped, sitting upright as much as he were able as I went into my small bathroom and grabbed my medical kit as well as my wash cloth, making sure it was wet before bringing everything I needed back to Yusuke. "Okay, shirt off. Come on, let's see what you've gotten yourself into." I bit down on my lip, fighting against Yusuke's protest and started to undo his shirt myself. There was a large bruise at his ribs, roughly the size of my hand and it was turning very bad shades of purple and blue. "Yusuke, do you think your ribs are broken?" He thought for a while before shaking his head.

"It just hurts to move it much. I'm fine with breathing." I eyed him warily, searching out for a potential lie but was satisfied with his answer. I dealt with the large bruise first, placing a cream on it to help it heal faster before I picked up the cloth and started to clean the blood from his face and chest. "I can do that, you don't have to make such a fuss." He argued, reaching for the cloth but I gently placed my hand over his and pulled it towards me, placing a soft kiss on his fingers.

"You're rejecting your pain, Suke, and trying to act all tough. It's okay though, you can be yourself with me. It won't ever change my high opinion of you." I assured him and he stared at me for a moment as I cleaned off the last of the blood before slowly, he started to crumble. Pure exhaustion and frustration brought the tears to his eyes and his head dropped down onto my shoulder, hands gripping onto one another tightly in his lap as I stroked back his hair and let him cry, wanting him to accept the fact that he wasn't coping. If I had my suspicions they were now confirmed. I knew something was off. He hadn't been eating much and was keeping more to himself, spending more time in his room. He even made Wataru cry the other day and that was the first time I'd heard Yusuke actually shout in anger. "It's alright, I'm right here. I'm going to fix everything, I promise."

His fingers gripped onto my shirt, clenching a fistful of the material for support as I sat up on the bed beside him and let him cry into me. This was what big sisters were for, right? To understand what another brother might not. The need to cry. Sometimes that's all you needed, though I think Yusuke went and cried his heart out because soon enough he was asleep. Gently I set him down, letting him rest on my bed and I saw the rest of his bruises on his face, doing my best to tend to them all and listened to his breathing, searching for signs of any broken ribs however when I touched his sides, carefully feeling them out I couldn't feel any breakages and he didn't wake up from any pain, so I figured we were safe from that worry.

I combed through his hair, trying to figure out what to do. These were obviously the result of a fight, even the skin of his knuckles was scraped off where he'd punched back but I think to receive this many injuries, Yusuke must have been outnumbered. At least it's a weekend tomorrow, he won't have to go to school looking like this. I wonder if it's some boys in his class, even though they all seemed so nice. Perhaps they're not in his class but are just boys at his school? They could even be just a bunch of older boys who hang out where Yusuke and his own friends tend to wander and they keep on coming back for more. Whatever the truth is, I'll try and persuade Yusuke to tell me so that I could do something about it. I won't necessarily go to his teachers as at his age, I could understand that it would look pretty uncool, but what else could I do? Maybe I could ask Natsume for advice, or try to confront the boys with some of the others to help. When a girl has thirteen brothers, why wouldn't she ask for their help in times like this?

Looking down at Yusuke again I softened, reaching down and kissing his forehead and almost instantly his strained expression relaxed, almost as if he could sense me even in sleep. "I'll definitely fix it for you." I promised him before clearing away everything I'd got out, rising the wash cloth from the blood before I began to soak Yusuke's clothes in a bucket of warm water, drawing out the stains before I sat there and once again scrubbed them all clean, cleaning away the evidence.


	16. Chapter 16

Poking Yusuke in the morning he groaned, mouth hanging wide open and sprawled over my bed rather comfortably. He needs to get up so I continued to poke him, sitting right next to him. "Suke? You need to wake up Suke. We're going out today." Poking him a final time he snorted, yawned tiredly before he opened his eyes. He looked at me, looked at his chest then saw he was in my room. He panicked.

"Agh! Why is every time I end up falling asleep in your room I end up shirtless?!" I giggled.

"You're adorable. Come on, you need to get up and get ready. It's nearly twelve and we're going to go have some fun, okay?" Giving him no choice I rolled him out of my bed and shoved a set of clothes I had picked up from his room before ushering him into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I'd decided that firstly I would make Yusuke feel a little better about the situation he was in, which meant I was going to take him to the arcade where I knew he would be able to forget about things for a few hours.

I'd withdrawn some money from my account so we'd have plenty to spend and I'd done all my chores early in the morning, as well as prepared lunch for everyone who needed it with instructions to just warm it up in the microwave. I glanced at my full length mirror and my hand immediately strayed towards my necklace, thinking of dad and Miwa. I'd received a call earlier today saying that they were coming home in a few days and I was greatly anticipating them coming back. Before they came, however, I wanted Yusuke to not have to worry about whoever it was who kept on picking on him.

I wore a pair of my nicer jeans today as well as a plain camisole top with an open neck flannel shirt over that. If I got too warm later on I could always just tie it around my waist, however today I'd made an effort. I even let my hair down a bit, letting it fall around my shoulders and had only pulled back the top half into a knot at the back of my head. I forgot how long my hair was, reaching the middle of my back in strait tresses of dark brown. Maybe I'll trim it soon.

"Okay I'm ready. Where the heck are we going anyway?" I grinned, grabbing Yusuke by the hand as I picked up my bag with the other.

"You'll see, just follow me." We left after I called out to Masaomi that Yusuke and I would be out until dinner time and he called back to let me know he'd heard so I took Yusuke away, knowing full well that he was shooting me sideways glances every now and then. "Stop jittering so much Yusuke, we're going to have fun today, you'll see." I promised him, giving him a little nudge. "So try smiling a little bit, it's not like I'm going to cart you off to the red light district or something." Instantly he balked, going bright red and I laughed, knowing just how to push his buttons as he protested, demanding to know why I'd even suggest such a thing but I only winked at him before grabbing his sleeve and pulling him along with me.

When we reached the arcade Yusuke was surprised but he quickly grew excited, clenching his fists with a grin. "Alright! This place is the best of them all because they have great food and really cool…I didn't bring my wallet." Yusuke blinked before groaning. "Ah man, now I have to go all the way back for it." But I grabbed Yusuke's hand and pulled him inside having intended for him to leave his wallet behind.

"Today's on me Suke, so just enjoy yourself and have whatever you want. We'll just say you owe me one." I informed him before exchanging money for tokens and I handed a large stash of them to Yusuke, his eyes glowing at the prospect of it all. "So, what do you recommend first? This is my first time going to an arcade, so I'll be relying on your advice."

"What?! You've never been to an arcade?" Yusuke looked flabbergasted, staring at me with a wide open mouth as I just smiled and nodded. I never really got out much before I moved in with everyone else. My life really has been turned on its head. "Well in that case, you have to try this game first, I'll show you so come on!" And before he knew it Yusuke had grabbed my hand in his, distracted by all the crazy games around us that he didn't even blush once.

I'll admit, my first experience in an arcade really was a lot of fun. Yusuke and I laughed together when we realised that I really was terrible at most of the games there, barely keeping up with Yusuke on all the shooting games or the challenges which he was well practiced at. I just laughed at myself each time I died or failed to reach the target as Yusuke racked up several high scores and we even got several free rounds for him doing so well. There were so many smells from all the restaurants that we were soon hungry so I bought us food, letting Yusuke order anything he wanted though he tried to be polite, so I filled in the blanks as I knew fairly well the type of things he liked and usually did order.

When we sat down he looked at all his food then at me as I began to tuck into my burger, content to fill my stomach with a little junk food. "Yo Rikki, why're you doing all this?" I stopped, mouth half full of food as I was startled by Yusuke's question. I swallowed then frowned at him, not sure I understood him.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't I? I just wanted to cheer you up Suke, you looked so depressed yesterday I figured you'd had an extremely bad day and from what I could see, it wasn't looking up from thereon out. So, I decided to flip the coin over and give you a good day instead, you see? Makes life a little more manageable when you have a healthy dose of good and bad days." I reasoned, taking another quick bite before humming. "I know someone keeps on bullying you, but if you don't want to talk about it then I won't push you. But when I get my hands on those jerks, they're going to get what's coming to them." Yusuke stared a moment longer before his shoulders slumped and finally he smiled at me, the bruises on his face almost unnoticeable.

"You really are the best thing that's ever come into our lives, Rikki. You should know that." His words were heartfelt and I blushed slightly, accepting them with thanks before we continued to eat our food. Yusuke ate more like himself, gorging on everything I bought him and even had dessert, hungry from his several days of not eating properly and missing breakfast and I was all too happy to see him eating with such a healthy appetite again. "So, where next?" He grinned at me, grabbing my hand again so that we wouldn't get separated.

"Well, how about that one?" I suggested, one of the games taking my interest so we went over and continued until all our coins were spent. I have no idea how but we'd managed to spend nearly four hours in there. It's almost as if time flowed on a different continuum entirely though I'm not complaining, I had a blast! Yusuke was still laughing at how bad I was at zombie shooter as I protested, arguing that since I was fairly good at video gaming then I should be at least halfway decent at these kinds of games.

"These aren't exactly videogames, they're partially rigged to get the most money out of you and since you're literally holding a plastic gun, it's a little harder to aim at things." Yusuke grinned as he poked me teasingly. "And your aim was way off!"

"Oh haha very funny, I'm glad that _somebody_ is amused." I grinned back, shaking my head and tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. "You want to walk around for a little while? I think there might be some kind of garden around here. It might be a good idea to sit down for a bit."

"Yeah, now that you mention it my feet are killing me." He complained, wriggling his foot a little before sliding his hands into his pockets as we head towards the gardens. It wasn't anything special but it was nice enough with a few flowerbeds to give a soft aroma to the air. There were a few kids playing around so we head towards a bench overlooking a small fountain, tucked away a little bit where we could have some time to ourselves without so many people around us. "I know I've said it already, but I really do appreciate you doing all this for me." Yusuke said as he watched the water trickle from the fountain. "I did feel really crappy, but you've made it all better."

"Thanks, I do my best." I chirped softly, glad that I could do something to at least make Yusuke feel better, even though I haven't solved the root of the problem. I'll get to that soon enough. "And I mean it when I say that I'm here whenever you need me, if it's as a friend or as your big sister, I don't mind." Yusuke looked down pensively, thinking rather deeply and I glanced his way but didn't interrupt. We had a few precious moments of clam quiet, the breeze softly rustling the leaves of the bushes and trees nearby and I leaned my head forwards slightly, feeling my hair lift slightly so I pulled it over the one shoulder.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Yusuke Asahina. And what's this? Have you finally found a friend? Don't tell me this is your girlfriend Asahina, she's way too cute for someone like you." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Yusuke tighten his fists and he jerked to his feet as I lifted my head, looking to see a rather beautifully featured boy standing in front of us with two guys standing behind him. I could immediately sense the animosity between them and by the way that boy was smirking darkly at Yusuke, I felt myself twitch in irritation. Who was he?

"Haruyoshi Nakamura." Yusuke spoke with a cold tone, one that made me shiver slightly as I glanced between them. They obviously knew each other, were these three responsible for beating up Yusuke yesterday and all those other times? I recall that nosebleed I'd found him with the other week. No doubt that was them as well and he'd just not wanted to tell me. It would also explain why he'd left school early. They must be his schoolmates, it sounded the most logical explanation.

"I see your face is recovering nicely, it's a shame. I was hoping to leave a more permanent mark." Haruyoshi smirked further, his handsome features tainted and distorted by that malicious expression. "How're your ribs?" Yusuke hissed, balling his fists further and I rose to my feet to touch his hand, gently taking it in mine to try and calm him down. Confrontation in public was not exactly ideal, besides there were plenty of children around and they shouldn't have to see a fight break out.

"Yusuke, do you want to go?" I asked him softly, surprised by how strong my voice sounded. It didn't waver at all. Probably because I was so focused on Yusuke at the moment. He clenched his jaw, trembling for a moment before he exhaled a breath and nodded, taking my hand in his and made to leave however one of the other two boys stepped into his way, blocking his path.

"Don't stand in my way, idiot. I don't want anything to do with you freaks." Yusuke ordered, swiping out a hand as if to banish them but Haruyoshi just laughed sardonically, moving closer.

"Why would we let you leave? Especially when you have such a pretty girl with you." His hand reached out and slipped into my hair, trailing it over his hand and I blinked in surprise as Yusuke thrust out his hand to shove the creep away but Haruyoshi was faster, moving backwards before tittering his tongue. "You're not going to even introduce us? What a shame. You should treat your sempai with more respect. We are in a higher class than you, both in and out of school." This made me bow my head slightly, feeling a stoke of anger beginning to rise in my chest as Yusuke flipped, aiming to punch Haruyoshi however the other two quickly grabbed him under his arms, trapping him in place even as he struggled.

"You bastards! Afraid to take me on in a fair fight?" He demanded, writhing and struggling but the other two appeared to be fairly strong and I stood there helplessly, trembling as I began to frantically think of what to do. Wait, in my bag I have some pepper spray, my dad bought it for me ages ago I'd just never had to use it. It's perfect, all I need to do is reach into my bag and grab it before they stop me. I can do this, Yusuke won't manage three on his own unless I do something.

"Not really, it's just why fight fair when we can have fun instead?" Haruyoshi reasoned before he turned his attention to me, moving threateningly closer. "Besides, there's more fun to be had over here. Your girlfriend here has a really nice body and she's not exactly protesting, is she?" His hand reached out towards me, however for the first time I felt angrier than I had ever felt before in my entire life.

"You. You're the one that keeps on hurting Yusuke?" I asked him, my head still bowed and he stopped, blinking at me in surprise. "You three keep on picking on him. Why?" I demanded to know, my voice low and even as I began to feel my body for once tremble with rage. How dare they hurt Yusuke?

"Well cutie, because it's fun to torment him. His mother may be rich and all, but seriously he's got nothing going for him. I mean, I hear he has to get his sister to coach him through all of his work because he can't even understand basic numbers." He informed me, folding his arms rather smugly. "Of course, watching him squirm on the ground is pretty amusing, and the way he-!" My hand shot out with unnatural strength and slapped him full force in the face, making him freeze in place as everyone stared at me, wide eyed.

"Rikki…" Yusuke murmured, never having seen me get violent before. I was too angry to notice or even care, lifting my head to glower at Haruyoshi with such deadly eyes that he flinched, squeaking slightly as his hand pressed against his now reddening face.

"You think you can say such disgusting things about my brother when I'm standing right here? You lowlife filth. I won't tolerate it a moment longer!" I declared, my voice raising as I continued to burn like a forest fire, stepping forwards and the moment I started advancing, Haruyoshi began to backtrack, gulping with concern as I fixated him with my deathly glare. "If you want to touch him ever again, you'll have to go through me first, though as his sister, I absolutely forbid it! It doesn't matter if I'm just a woman, I'll beat you with your own skulls if that's what it takes to make you understand." My hand shot out and I grabbed a fistful of Haruyoshi's shirt, making him rise up onto his toes as my hair flared like the wings of a bird of prey moments before it landed upon its kill. "Yusuke is far too good for the likes of you creeps." With that I pushed my hand forwards and Haruyoshi yelled, arms flailing as his legs failed to step backwards and he dropped straight into the fountain water, becoming immediately soaked and he splashed around helplessly before he sat up, gasping.

When he opened his eyes I continued to stare at him in fury, fists clenched ready to strike again if necessary, however he instantly yelled in fear and scrambled out of the fountain, his pants sliding down messily and he hastily dragged them up before running away, wanting to escape as quickly as possible. "Hey, wait for us Yoshi!" The other two quickly bolted after their head figure, skirting a wide arc around me as I watched them warily before finally, they were gone from sight.

The moment they had disappeared I exhaled, falling to my knees as I suddenly felt exhausted. That was so exhilarating! Yet scary too, if they had decided to fight back I definitely would have needed the pepper spray, I guess I can keep that for another day. "Rikki! Rikona, are you okay?" Yusuke asked me with worry, running to my side and gripping my shoulders but I gave him a shaky smile.

"I don't think they'll be bothering you anymore, Suke." All at once Yusuke pulled me into his arms, embracing me tightly and I let him hold me, gathering back my senses bit by bit.

"You were amazing, Rikki. I've never seen that bastard run so fast in my life, I'll never let him live it down." I chuckled, giving him a quick squeeze in return before he helped me to my feet however before I could suggest going home, there was a collective cry from several boys who I vaguely recognised.

"That was so awesome! Sexy sempai, you're super badass, I think I'm in love with you!" Yusuke and I both jolted in alarm as a few of his classmates came jogging towards us, beaming from ear to ear.

"Yusuke you should have told us you were here, we want to spend time with your sister too! Hey sexy sempai, will you go out with me?"

"No, you want to go out with me right? I'm older than everyone here so it makes sense." They all started to crowd around me, making me panic and flush deeply as they all reached out, trying to pull me towards them and I felt several tugs on my flannel shirt.

"W-Wait a minute! D-Don't…" However Yusuke suddenly had his arms around me and he pulled me close, crossing his arms over me like he were trapping me forever in the cell of his body as I started, looking at him where he pouted at his friends slightly.

"You idiots don't know when to quit, Rikki is mine and you can't have her. Go find your own sister!" He ordered them and they all whimpered in disappointment, eyes shining pleadingly as they knelt down and prayed at our feet, begging for Yusuke to share me but he refused. "No way! You guys saw how cool she was just now, there's no chance now that I'm going to let any one of you morons touch her." There was a collective sigh, hanging their heads and I couldn't help but smile at them. Boys these days were so sweet, they're just like your typical love struck teenagers. "Come on, let's go home." Suddenly I felt Yusuke's hand around mine and it pulled me forwards and I blindly followed without thinking.

We walked away from the boys like that, though I turned back and waved to them in farewell and they all cheered, yelling compliments and their numbers into the air and I had to giggle slightly. I guess boys will be boys. Even when we'd left the others far behind I looked down, seeing that Yusuke was still holding onto me pretty tightly and I could see he was clenching his jaw, telling me something was wrong. "Suke? Are you mad at me for speaking out like that?" I asked and he stumbled, caught off guard but he quickly whirled around to face me.

"No that's not it at all! I'm just frustrated, I know you're meant to be my big sister and everything, but it still makes me feel bad when you go putting yourself out like that for me." He suddenly relented, reaching forwards and gripping my shoulders, looking at me intently. "I mean, what if you'd got hurt? If anything had happened to you then I would have never forgiven myself. You know, the guy is supposed to protect the girl, right? Well I couldn't do anything, they had me too tight and I just couldn't shake them and all I could do was watch as that slimy creep tried to touch you…" Seeing that Yusuke was just working himself up into a frenzy I cut him off by fixing my arms around his waist and resting my head against his chest.

"It's okay to need to be rescued every now and then Suke, no one expects you to be strong all the time. Even guys like you need a superwoman or something like that every now and then." Pulling back I ruffled his hair, smiling warmly up at him. "So don't feel bad, okay? I had some pepper spray with me just in case, so I would have just sprayed him until he was blind. I just forgot about it until now." Reaching into my bag I searched around before I found the bottle and I pulled it out to show him.

"Well that's all well and good, but still." Stubbornly he folded his arms across his chest, lifting his chin proudly. "Make sure you depend on me every once in a while, okay? You do so much for all us guys that you don't really think about yourself all that often and I want to be able to be a support to you somehow, so lean on me whenever you need." He informed me whilst that familiar blush dusted his cheeks. I wasn't expecting such a sudden outburst but it made me feel happy to know that Yusuke thought about my welfare in such a way, so I teasingly pinched his blushing cheek.

"Suke, you're still really bad at talking to girls. It's so cute." I said and he protested immediately, the two of us poking at one another as we walked home though all the while we were smiling, knowing that it was all fun and games.


	17. Chapter 17

That same evening I was in my room brushing up on my studies to make sure I was still on top of everything when I heard a knock from the door. "Who is it?" I asked but no one answered. Not at all bewildered I got up and went to my door, opening up however when I saw Subaru standing there, I tensed up instantly and looked away with an awkward blush. "Oh hey Subaru, what's up?"

"Listen, I've been trying to find you all day but you just weren't anywhere. I wanted to explain myself, about yesterday." He said desperately and I looked up at him, seeing the genuineness of his eyes. "May I please come in?" Nodding my head I stepped back, opening my door to him and he stepped inside and I closed the door behind him before wrapping my arms around me, feeling a little shy as I was in just my bed shorts and nightshirt without any underwear on. Reaching across to my wardrobe I pulled on my dressing robe, crossing it over my shirt before pulling my hair free.

Subaru looked more than a little nervous so I gestured to my bed. "You can sit down if you like Subaru, please make yourself comfortable." I offered and he nodded, accepting the seat as I sat down at my desk, turning the chair around to face him. "I'm sorry I wasn't around today but I went out with Yusuke. He needed a little time out the house so I took him to the arcade." I explained, leaving out the extra details of me throwing someone into the pond and Yusuke being bullied for a while.

"No, that's cool I get it." Subaru answered, his soft voice almost shaking as he fiddled with his hands and I waited patiently. He didn't have to be so nervous, it was only me. "I'm really sorry about what happened at the game and then blowing you off afterwards. My team dragged me out for drinks and before I even remembered that you'd probably be waiting for me, I was too drunk to even see straight and I'd left my phone at home by accident. I'm really, really sorry." He bowed his head in apology and I couldn't help but laugh a little, making his head shoot up in surprise.

"Subaru you'd just won a very important game and you were celebrating, of course you should have been out with your teammates and having fun, I'm not mad if that's what you're so worried about." I told him honestly and he visibly relaxed, calming down once I had reassured him.

"Great, that's good to know." I smiled at him again, remembering the game and how amazingly he had played. He should have known that I would have just been happy for him, right? "I was really worried you'd be mad at me, I really did want to walk you home. I'm glad nothing happened or anything."

"I know the way pretty well by this point so there wasn't any risk of me getting lost, so I was fine." I told him firmly with a softness to my voice, leaning against my chair before I looked away, thinking about that kiss. It still bothered me a little but not as much as it did at the time. I've calmed down since then and I've managed to just tuck it away at the back of my mind. "So there's no need for you to worry, Subaru, I just hope those scouts are smart enough to see how great you are at basketball."

"Thanks, I really appreciate you being there." He said, finally relaxing enough to give me a smile. "You know, it's because you were there with me at practice and during the game that I did so well. You're so encouraging and made me want to do better. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have been on the team."

"Don't say that, you should have faith in your own abilities. I wasn't there all the time, remember? You were good at basketball before you ever even met me and you'll only continue to get better from now on so long as you remain passionate about it. Always do your best, that's what my dad always said to me." I smiled fondly, reaching up and fiddling with my necklace which sat proudly around my neck. For a moment there was silence between us but I hardly noticed, thinking about how my dad used to encourage me even when we tried to find a talent for me. We tried almost every instrument, every sport, we even tried some martial arts but the teachers always frightened me and I just turned out to be not very good at anything, except surfing.

"So, there's something else that I want to talk to you about." Subaru admitted slowly, working up his courage and I looked back at him, seeing that he'd laced his fingers together and started to twiddle his thumbs nervously. "About that kiss, I'm sorry about that too. Well, I'm not actually sorry, I don't regret that but I'm sorry I freaked you out."

"Oh, that." I blushed and quickly averted my eyes. "That's okay, I think I'm over it now. It really was a bit of a surprise, I didn't see it coming."

"Yeah well, when you were giving me advice and telling me how you were cheering for me, I just couldn't help it. I mean, you have a really pretty smile and I just suddenly thought that if that smile was mine then I'd have good luck for the rest of the game." He blushed with embarrassment, though the sentimentality of his words were rather sweet. "It's a little awkward, but I don't want that to come between us. I like how close we are now and I don't want to ruin that. Besides." Subaru gave me a smile of laughter and I blinked, suddenly realising just how innocent he really was. "Hiroji said that if I asked you out and you said yes, it would break his heart." I giggled, thinking about Hiroji and his antics.

"Poor Hiroji. I hope he finds himself a nice girl soon." I said, chuckling behind my hand before I calmed down, fixing my eyes on Subaru who was watching me carefully. "But really Subaru, you shouldn't worry. I knew it was a heat of the moment thing so I don't really mind it at all. Even though that sort of thing really makes me anxious, since it was you I was able to calm down quite quickly as I knew you didn't have any malicious intentions or anything like that behind it, so let's just put it all behind us from now on, okay?"

"Right." He nodded his head, seemingly glad that we'd cleared the air between us. It was nice to be back to the way we were, I had been a little worried that Subaru would go back to being awkward and distant with me but it's good that we're able to talk like this. We're very similar in age, after all, so it makes sense that we'd be able to understand one another fairly well. "What are you studying for? Didn't you already complete all your exams last year?" Subaru asked, changing the subject when he noticed my pile of books on the table.

"Well yes but these are just a few advanced exams I'm taking soon. I wanted to keep my options about which university I go to and what kind of career I want. I've had quite a few offers already for things like medicine and science, but none of that really appeals to me." Giving a slightly wistful sigh I flicked through the pages of one of my books. "That's why I admire you guys so much. You've all got big careers or passions that you're sticking to and you're all doing so well for yourself. Even Futo has his future set and he's younger than I am. I just don't know what I want to do with my life yet."

"Well, you've still got time. No one's pushing you to do anything and definitely no one's pushing you away. You've always got a home here, so there's no need to push yourself." Subaru said to me and I smiled at him gratefully.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I had been thinking about what Yusuke's teacher had said, though. Maybe I'll look into that a bit more. I have the right kind of grades to get accepted into almost any place I want, it just has to be the right one for me otherwise I won't be happy. "Thanks Subaru, looks like you're the one giving me advice now."

"Well, it's about time I returned the favour." He answered and I laughed, realising this was true. We spent a while longer talking, talking about this and that until it was well past midnight and Subaru suggested that I get some sleep as I was looking tired. Quite honestly it was, it's been a wild couple of days and I could do with a good night's rest.


	18. Chapter 18

"Dad! Miwa!" The moment I saw them I was running, crashing into my dad's arms as his laughter rolled through my head, making me smile further into him as he stroked my hair.

"How's my angel? I hear you've been a huge help to these boys since you got here, I'm proud of you." He said to me and the words made me glow inwardly. Everything was always so much better when he was around, however now it was double the effect as Miwa smiled and hugged me as well, her softness and sweet scent contrasting to my dad's strong grip.

"You look taller, have you grown at all Rikona? Or have I just shrunk?" She teased, making me smile as she held onto me. "I've arranged for us to spend the day together, is that alright with you? I'm sorry it's such short notice but I was really looking forward to spending time with you Rikona." She was even lovelier than I remember, her natural beauty shining through as she brushed my hair off my shoulders and neatened it around my face, fussing lovingly as I felt the warmth in my chest only deepen. When I knew Miwa and dad were coming I'd freed up my entire day, doing all of my chores early so that I wouldn't have anything to distract me whilst with them.

"Absolutely, I'm looking forward to spending time with you too Miwa." I said and she clapped her hands and began to usher me out the door. "Bye dad! I'll see you later!"

"We'll see you later honey, make sure you stay out of trouble." Miwa winked at me before looping my arm through hers and leading me away to where her car awaited with a chauffeur and everything. Now I felt poorly underdressed with my nerdy shirt and worn out jeans. "Don't worry, you look wonderful sweetie, you could get away with just tape and a plastic bag you know." She told me before letting me climb in first, making sure I was comfortable before Miwa directed her driver to the upper class end of town where all the more expensive shops were. I'd brought some money with me however Miwa made it very clear that it was to be her day spoiling me as a gift to herself and I could hardly refused, she insisted so much that I was just speechless.

The first shop we went to was full of beautiful dresses and displays, making my eyes widen. "Quite lovely, isn't it? I've been looking forward to this for so long, it's so nice to have a daughter to shop with." Miwa said as she led me round slowly so that I could look at everything. "Now I know your dad told me that you're not particularly fond of shopping but I promise this will be a lot of fun and I'll be sure to help you pick out things that will really suit you."

"Okay, I trust you Miwa. I'm not very good at picking out clothes, I never know what colour looks good or what sort of style I should wear." I said as I tugged at my shirt. "And I'm not very body confident either, I get all shy when people start staring at me."

"Of course they'd stare at you, you have the most angelic of smiles I've ever seen. Now, let's start with dresses, I think we'll begin with something a little plain and then work our way up to find out what you're comfortable with." Miwa was so patient and understanding, giving me excellent advice on what types of clothes would suit me best according to my body shape and accents. For the most part I let her choose, however if anything ever caught my eye it were as if she immediately noticed and would pick it up for me, saying that it doesn't cost a penny to try something on.

Strangely enough, I really did begin to enjoy myself as I was happy to see Miwa smiling so much, waiting patiently for me to step out of the private dressing rooms that we were allowed to use on account of Miwa being such an important lady in the fashion business. Though of course, I could not fault her taste in clothes. The first I wore was a soft blue dress that came to my knees with little straps, tucking in at my waist and I felt rather elegant as I walked, giving a twirl for her as the white lace trim rose up from the bottom for a finish. Although it was pretty, I couldn't help but think as I tried on the other dresses that they were all rather flowery and a little too girly in some cases.

Miwa either nodded her head or commented, sometimes shaking her head and those dresses would be discarded back to their racks. "What's the matter sweetie? Aren't you having fun?" Miwa asked, noticing the look on my face.

"Yes I am, it's just I was thinking, am I a little too old for these kind of dresses? I see girls in middle school wearing these styles and I don't want to look _too_ young, you know?" I said to her a little timidly but she smiled at me, taking my hands in hers to reassure me.

"Don't worry, there are plenty of other clothes out there for different looks. Mature, cute, girly, modern, vintage, sexy, sensible, casual, we're going to be trying out many different kinds of looks to find which ones suit you. You don't want to have too many of the same types of clothes, otherwise people will just get used to seeing you in one way." Miwa gave a wink as if she knew exactly my reasoning for why I was a little hesitant towards such a younger look. "Especially when we're trying to get a guy's attention, it's good to keep them on their toes. You want to show them every side of you so that they know you properly, right? So this is where clothes become important because they're a way of expressing who we are." And with that, Miwa converted me.

Although we must have tried on dozens of dresses we only settled on about three of them, each very distinctively different styles and patterns but I really did like them. Next came skirts and tops. Again we went through the same process, though not with so many until we either found an outfit that we liked or simply put them all back. Miwa said that I had very shapely legs and that I shouldn't be afraid to show them off, however if I was uncomfortable with short skirts then pleated ones that came a little further down would suit me really well or a smart pencil skirt that hugged my body but also came down to my knees. I decided against the pencil skirt, I felt a little too serious when wearing it and Miwa agreed it wasn't my style at all.

We left with several bags before moving to the next shop and this one had an even wider range. Once again we were shown to a private dressing room where I was set up with numerous different outfits to try on, however when Miwa brought in a few evening gowns my jaw dropped. "Beautiful aren't they? Well let me tell you something else, sweetie. A dress looks nice and all, but it's the woman that wears it who really makes it dazzle people."

These dresses made me feel so much older and mature, trying on different styles, however when I tried on a deep burgundy gown that fell to the floor with the fabric sweeping over the one shoulder in a sleep fit that shaped my body Miwa held up her hand, staring at me. "Oh my, you look so beautiful my dear. You don't even need any embellishments, you really do make it shine out." I blushed at her words, seeing that there were a few tears in her eyes and she sniffed. "I've waited so long for this, oh I can't wait until you get married, I'll be bawling my eyes out!"

"Oh no! Please don't cry mom, I-!" We both looked up at the same time, staring with the same expression until all at once, Miwa really started to howl.

"You called me mom! I'm so happy, I'm really so lucky. Thirteen wonderful boys, a loving husband and a beautiful girl all to myself…I'm so lucky!" I staggered off the circular platform whilst hitching up the dress so I could walk without tripping over it, going over to Miwa so that I could hug her. She held onto me, smiling through her tears before she kissed my cheeks. "He'll have to be a very special man indeed if he's ever going to meet my approval for you, Rikona sweetie." She said to me and I smiled, leaning forwards and touching heads with her just like I did with my dad. Instantly she started crying again, knowing that it was something that dad and I did and it took me a while to calm her down again, saying that I'd try on as many outfits as she wanted.

She was determined to buy me that burgundy dress as well as a few other formal gowns so that I would have something to wear whenever I went to a gathering of some kind as Miwa was determined to introduce me into society. I had dresses, gowns, shoes, shirts, skirts, jackets, jeans, shorts and practically everything else you can think of, Miwa occasionally joining in when she saw something that she liked and wanted to try on herself. I'm going to have to either have a clean out of my wardrobe or just get another one altogether to fit all this stuff in. "Now! For a very important part of a woman's life, underwear!" Miwa said brightly and I balked, almost tripping over as I flushed deeply.

"Y-You mean like bras and stuff?" I questioned before looking into the store where some rather scandalous underwear was put on show. I averted my eyes very quickly.

"Don't be shy sweetie, for a woman her underwear is like a special secret. It's always good to have a really nice set of underwear for special occasions or just to feel good about yourself. Come on, let's get you properly fitted, I know your dad tried his best and you probably had to do this all on your own, right?" I nodded my head, blushing still. I'd been so embarrassed when I'd gone to a store and asked for a fitting all on my own. I was lucky that the lady was so nice and when I explained that I didn't have a mother to help me with this sort of thing, she quickly adopted me under her wing and even gave me a really good discount.

"Thanks Miwa, I didn't realise that you'd think about _everything_. I can see where the boys get their kindness and consideration from." I said to her and she positively glowed.

"I certainly did my best with them, though I've made a few errors along the way. I'm just happy as long as they're doing what they enjoy. Now, once we're done here we'll go for some tea and we can talk all about you. I want to know everything there is to know about you Rikona." Nodding my head I allowed her to lead me away. Even though I was awkward about getting properly measured, it was over quickly and the women were really very lovely and understanding. It turns out that I'd actually been wearing bras a little too small for me and were the wrong shape for my type of bust so Miwa sought to set it straight.

She found a few plain pairs and I picked up a few other ones as well, however one set caught my eye and my hand instinctively reached out for it. It was rather adventurous and a little daring, the plunging bra made predominantly black with a little jewel in the middle, the top rimmed with delicate roses of deep red with undies to match. If anyone actually saw me wearing something like this, I'd be absolutely humiliated, but all the same it was really pretty and I'd never had something quite like it before. "Do you like it?" Miwa asked me and I nodded my head. "Then try it on, if it's really comfortable then you absolutely must have it."

So I tried on several bras, however when I tried on that particular one it just felt so comfortable as if it had been made purposefully to meld to my shape. I shyly showed Miwa and she immediately nodded her head in approval. "It really does look ravishing on you, any man would just want to eat you up." I bit on my lip, unable to look up as I hugged myself. Maybe this one isn't such a good idea. I mean, I want to be more mature looking so that a certain person would look at me differently, but was this too much? "You know sweetie, if you don't ever want a man to see you wearing this set in particular then it's absolutely up to you." Miwa said softly, coming over and brushing her hand through my hair. "Just because it's there doesn't mean it has to be used, your body is for _you_ to decide how you use it, or who you let see it. No one should ever force you or make you feel uncomfortable in any way and do not ever let anyone pressure you outside of your comfort zone until you're good and ready."

"Miwa, you're really good at giving advice. It's like you know exactly what to say and what I need to hear." I said to her softly and she smiled, kissing my cheek before letting me change back. We ended up buying everything I'd tried on, making sure that I had a type for every need, such as strapless, supportive, sport and yes, even the black and red ones. I blushed every time I thought of them, but at the same time I smiled.

"That was fantastic fun! But I think tea and cake is exactly what we need. I know that your favourite is cream and strawberries, funnily enough it's mine too!" Miwa said to me and I felt so comfortable being with her it was like I had known her all my life. She really was trying her best to get to know me and make me feel like her daughter, so I decided that I was going to do something in return for her. For a while I didn't spot anything, however an idea suddenly came to mind and I gasped.

"I'll be just a moment, I'll be right back I promise." I said, holding her hands before dashing off and she blinked, a little surprised but waited for me all the same. I ran back to a jewellery store that I had seen and searched through them until I found exactly what I was looking for. A pair of charms that fit together in the shape of a heart but when separated, looked like two pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. I bought one to go on a bracelet and the other I had attached to my phone like a charm, making me smile as it's silver glint before I then returned to Miwa, panting for breath. "For you." I breathed, holding out the small box to her and she gasped.

"Oh sweetie, you didn't have to do this." She said, smiling at me as she opened the box then her mouth dropped slightly, looking down at the charm that sat snuggly among a cushion of velvet, the one half with the word 'mom' on the underside. When I showed her mine which I had on my phone, she breathed through a sob, hand going to her mouth as it twirled around slowly to reveal the word 'daughter'. She looked so touched and she started to cry again, sniffing softly. "It's beautiful. Thank you Rikona." She said before giving me a kiss then asked me to help secure the clasp.

"I would have got a bracelet too but I'm famous for losing those and I didn't want to risk it. With a phone charm, I'll be able to look at mine every day since I use my phone quite often." I explained, holding it up and together we fit our separate pieces together, meant to be. Miwa hugged me tightly and didn't let me go after that, telling practically everyone that we met how wonderful and thoughtful I was and how she was so glad that she got to be my mother. I blushed, but not out of embarrassment. Strangely when it was Miwa, I didn't feel so shy or nervous about anything, it were as if her bright spring like smile melted away the icy snow that had me pulling back from everything. She was like a breath of fresh air, opening the windows to reveal sunlight and bright blue skies.

We held one another's hands as we stopped at our favourite shops, tasking chocolate confectionary and staring at the patisseries with all their cream and strawberry cakes, our mouths watering hungrily. Some people gave us odd looks, seeing such a stylish lady with a less well dressed girl like myself but Miwa showed me off proudly just as I was, and that was more confidence boosting than anything else in the world.


	19. Chapter 19

Summer was over and it was now autumn, meaning that even though it was still fairly warm and humid, the temperature was still gradually dropping. So instead of my usual baggy jumpers, today I was actually wearing a turtleneck knitted jumper to keep extra warm. I'd just finished my advanced exams and was fairly confident that I'd done well, I just had to wait a little longer for the results. Poor Yusuke though, he was having a last minute panic about his own end of term tests but I kept on reassuring him that he had studied so hard that even if he didn't get the result he wanted, he should still be proud.

He seemed to settle after that which made me glad. With the changing of the weather, however, several of us got sick. Wataru had a cold and Iori looks like he has something similar only worse and I noticed that Ukyo was rather pale. "Hey Ukyo? Why don't you go have a rest? I can finish up here." I said to him, reaching out and tugging on his sleeve gently. He really didn't look so good, Subaru had gone to bed early complaining of a headache and I was worried everything was catching.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to trouble you." He said as he took off his mask, trying to minimise the spreading of germs as best we could, especially around the food.

"It's really no trouble, you should look after yourself Ukyo. You have an important court date coming up, right? You need to be feeling your best for that so you need to take care of yourself." I was insistent, pushing him out the kitchen and making him take off his apron. "Go and have a sleep, I'll check on you later, okay?"

"Alright, alright, I suppose I am feeling rather tired." He admitted to himself whilst rubbing his head then wearily managed to make it up the stairs. I finished making dinner for everyone, a slightly spicy soup in order to help them flush out whatever bug it was they were carrying. I set everything up on the trolley so that I could wheel it around to everyone who was sick in bed. I visited Subaru first as he was the closest, giving a light tap on his door but there was no answer, though it was open. I carefully opened it up and looked inside, seeing he was sleeping.

With a towel covering the soup I left it on his bedside table with a note to eat as much as he could if he was hungry and to call me it if was cold by the time he woke up. He was breathing heavily and his skin was fairly clammy so I fetched him a cloth and placed it over his head, drawing up his covers to tuck him in properly before I then left to continue on. Ukyo was also asleep so I left him food as well, not wanting to disturb him. Next I went to see Wataru who was mewling slightly, tossing and turning. "Hey little bunny, are you hungry?" I asked and Wataru immediately sat up, snivelling.

"I feel so ill big sis!"

"I know." I soothed, coming and sitting next to him so that I could switch on his bedside light. "But you'll get better really soon and until then, I'm here to look after you so you just leave everything to me. Here, I have some vitamins for you to take, they might help give you a little boost and they taste really good. They're like gummy sweets." I told him, smiling as I shared out a portion of the vitamin gummies that I'd found for him in town and he swallowed them down, licking his lips.

"They taste good, shouldn't I just eat them all if they're going to make me stronger?" He asked and I chuckled, smoothing back his hair as he sniffed, his inflamed sinus making it difficult to breathe through his nose.

"Well the instructions say just to take two at a time every certain number of hours, so we'll just stick with that for the time being okay? We wouldn't want you to take too many, because sometimes having too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Like ice cream. Remember when you had four ice creams all at once on holiday and you felt sick?" Wataru laughed as he remembered before coughing so I propped up his pillows so that he could lean back, listening carefully to his breathing and coughs to see if it was becoming a chest infection. I wasn't much of an expert but I had read up on a couple of books and I knew the basics, though Masaomi would be able to tell for sure. I didn't hear any crackling or wheezing, though, so I wasn't worried. "Can you eat something for me? I made my special get better soup."

"I'll always eat your food big sis no matter how sick I get." Wataru declared and I smiled at him, running my fingers through his hair.

"You're too cute." I said before setting him up with a bed tray and he began to eat as I tidied up his room a little, returning toys to their boxes or shelves and opened the window a little to let some fresh air in.

"Big sis, you look different." Wataru said to me suddenly and I blinked, looking back over to him. "That jumper you're wearing looks really good on you, the way you're dressed makes you look very smart."

"Why thank you Wataru, that's very sweet of you." I said to him in thanks, returning to his side as I checked his temperature. Still no fever, it must just be a cold then. A day or two and he'll be back to his usual self. I told him to get some rest and give me a call if he needed me for anything, leaving him with a few of his books and things to entertain himself with before I pushed the trolley out of the room and returned to my rounds. Next was Iori who was taking the worst of it all. He was fitting and shivering whilst burning up so I quickly tried to cool him down, wiping away his sweat and lifting him up a little so that I could rearrange his pillows to make him more comfortable. "Don't worry Iori, I'm going to make sure you're back on your feet in no time. Can you eat some of this?"

I started to spoon feed him small portions of the soup as I supported his head in the crook of my arm, his head nestled close to me as I helped him eat the soup. He seemed hungry as he ate the entire thing though he didn't stop shivering. I think he was somewhere in between sleep and consciousness because sometimes he'd opened his eyes and moan something before closing them again. It felt horrible not being able to do much more for him, he really did look ill. Gently placing his head back down his eyes flickering open.

Seeing that he was looking at me in a daze I stopped, making to ask him if he wanted anything however his hand grabbed me a little clumsily at the back of my neck and pulled me down, making me squeak as Iori pressed his mouth against my doctor's mask. His skin was flaming hot and although the kiss was clumsy, I could feel the firm lips through the thin material of the mask as his trembling fingers kept hold of me. Iori? Did he mistake me for someone else? I was fairly certain that he was a popular guy at his college, surely he'd already have a girl he was interested in, maybe he thought I was her?

"Hm-Iori!" Pushing him back down as gently as I could I tried to ask what that was all about but he slumped, eyes sliding shut as he coughed before slowly his breaths deepened, signalling that he had fallen asleep. My mouth tingled behind my mask and I was very flushed. Will he remember that when he wakes up? A part of me hopes he didn't, I don't think I could live up the embarrassment if I tried to talk to him about that. I shook my head to clear the fog, picking up the empty soup bowl and quickly clearing away. I felt a little guilty just leaving him like that so I reached out and patted his head, as if to reassure him subconsciously that I forgave him before I left him to rest.

When I returned back to the main room Kaname was lounging on the sofa with Tsubaki and Azusa practicing their lines. "Hey there little lady. Well look at you, have you been working too hard again?" Kaname teased as I picked up the dirty dishes and carried them over to the sink.

"Not at all, with everyone sick I've just been picking up a few chores here and there, it's no problem really." I insisted then asked if everyone had eaten, but before they could answer I saw that the soup was all gone.

"You bet we did, it was great stuff. You're really a marvel, Rikki." Tsubaki said though his voice was slightly wheezy and then he started to cough. Instantly I was marching over to him and I pressed my hand against his forehead, feeling a slight temperature. Oh no, Tsubaki too? Azusa didn't look too great either, he was pale and sweaty. "We're fine! Don't worry about us, it was just a cough."

"You are not fine, you're burning up! You guys are the ones who've been pushing yourselves too hard, now you're beginning to burn out. Go to bed immediately and get plenty of rest, I don't want to hear a peep out of either of you until morning, you got it?" Suddenly speaking in an authoritative tone I placed one hand on my hip as the other pointed towards the stairs. They blinked at me, taken aback by my sudden spunk before Kaname laughed.

"Better do as she says otherwise there'll be trouble." He suggested and finally the twins smiled, looking down at me affectionately as they both reached out and patted my head, making me relax as I tilted my head up to them.

"Alright, since it's your lovely lips that insist, I'll do whatever you want me to." Tsubaki said until his brother thumped him on the head.

"Can you at least try not to make her uncomfortable for just two minutes?" Azusa sighed before wearily adjusting his glasses before giving me a smile. "Don't overdo it yourself, Rikona. You need to keep healthy as well." I nodded my head, reassuring him that I would take good care of myself before the twins wandered off to bed, Kaname watching them go with amusement before he turned to me.

"You've got quite a tongue on you little lady. To think you were once so shy you couldn't even look us in the eye." He said to me with a soft tease to his voice, getting up and standing in front of me as his hand reached out and adjusted the locks that framed my face. "But you have such beautiful eyes, so make sure that you turn them on me as much as you like so I can gaze into their enchanting depths." He leaned a little closer and my brow twitched, knowing that he was just making fun of me so I tugged on his hair, making him jump in surprise.

"Don't think I haven't noticed you coughing and sneezing too, Kaname. I'm going to let that one slide this time as I'll put it down to a possible feverish delusion, but you know how much I dislike being talked to like that. I'm not here to be objectified." The moment the words were out of my mouth I jolted, hand covered my lips in shock as I stared up at him. "I-I'm sorry, that came out wrong."

"It's okay, I'll admit I'm feeling a little dizzy, but you take my breath away little lady." He said to me as he reached out and ran his fingers through my hair. This time I relaxed, enjoying the sensation however when we heard a thud come from upstairs, we both looked up in alarm. Instantly I was running, clearing the stairs three at a time before I saw Louis passed out on the floor.

"Louis! Oh please don't tell me you're sick too." I pleaded as I reached him, turning him over and he groaned, even paler than usual and there were dark shadows under his eyes.

"Hey…Kona…think I'm…like…a little tired…" He muttered before starting to cough, I quickly pulled back so that I didn't catch anything, Kaname approaching also.

"Well, guess I'll make a stop on the way to my room. Come on Louis, let's get you to bed." Louis groaned again as Kaname pulled an arm over his shoulder and lifted him up with me helping to balance him. I was so worried about everyone, with Masaomi away at a conference and Hikaru travelling around for a story he was writing, this meant that absolutely everyone who was usually home had taken ill. It was not looking good. "Don't worry about us, we'll be right as rain again by morning." Kaname told me confidently as we helped Louis to his room.

But they weren't better. If anything they were all worse.


	20. Chapter 20

My phone was ringing so I picked it up as I pulled back the doctor's mask, seeing that it was Futo who was calling me. "Hey Futo I'm glad you called, I've been meaning to get in touch but I haven't had the chance yet." I said to him as I handled everyone's washing. I'd managed to get a few of the guys to let me change their beds so that they had fresh sheets to crawl back into but almost instantly they were tangled and coiled up, unable to settle due to their illness.

"Really what's up? I was just going to ask if you were interested in meeting my manager. For some reason he really wants to know who wrote all those poems. I didn't tell him who you were but he's insistent. Thinks that they're something with potential, though his taste isn't as good as mine." Futo said to me in his usual condescending tone but I only smiled. That was so like Futo, trying to make out he was the bad guy or a kid with attitude problems. Ever since he'd transferred to Yusuke's school I've had phone calls from teachers to complain about his behaviour and I did my best to apologise and calm them down. Apparently he'd put me down as his emergency contact and although I was surprised at first, I think he did so because he knew I wouldn't make a fuss like the others did. Though when I eventually get my hands on him, I'll be having stern words.

"Absolutely not, I couldn't possibly." I said, feeling anxious just thinking about meeting some big pop idol manager. "But tell him I appreciate his compliments, it's very kind of him. Actually, the reason I've been meaning to call is to tell you that everyone at home is sick. You've not been feeling unwell, have you?" There was a slight pause before Futo answered.

"No I'm in perfect health. Let me guess, those morons are snivelling over a little cold and you're left playing nursemaid, am I right?"

"It's not like that at all, it's really bad and it's been going on for a few days now. If you haven't caught anything then I think you should keep away from the house for a while, I don't want you to get ill too and you have a show coming up, right? I saw an advertisement up when I was at the shops, already sold out." I chuckled softly. Futo really was popular, especially with the ladies. I've seen them scream and swoon over him.

"Well yeah, I didn't realise you kept up to date with my shows." Futo sounded like he was trying to vex me but there was a soft edge to his voice, as if he was genuinely pleased that I kept my eye on him.

"Of course I do. I know that singing and performing is important to you, but make sure you don't let your studies drop. I can always help you with anything like that, but for the most part so long as you're happy doing what you do then I have no reason to worry _too_ much. Anyway, will you be okay on your own for a couple of days? I'll keep you updated on how everyone's doing so that you can avoid the bug."

"Sure thing, thanks for the warning." Futo answered and there was a slight break before he spoke again. "Hey, about my next show, afterwards there's going to be a VIP party and I'm supposed to bring a guest. I would ask just any girl but they can get seriously annoying fawning over me and I'm not interested in that kind of thing. I know it's a little out of your comfort zone, but…" He trailed off slightly before complaining. "Ugh, just forget I said anything."

"No wait Futo, were you going to ask me to go with you instead?" I asked, feeling a pulse of anxiety wash over me but I shook it off. Something sounded a little off with Futo, he sounded quiet and a little forlorn and I immediately wanted to know what this was all about. "If you need me there as support then of course I'll go with you. You know you can count on me, right?" For a while Futo was silent and eventually I wondered if the line had gone dead so I stopped hanging up the washing to place the phone more directly against my ear. "Hello? Futo?"

"I'm here." He came back, giving a slight sigh. "Thanks Rikona. You're a life saver."

"It's not a problem, that's what big sisters are there for right? Just tell me where I need to be and at what time and I'll do my best to look presentable." I promised him and he gave a short chuckle, that smug tone returning to his voice as if nothing had ever changed.

"You'll need to put in a lot of effort in that case. I'll send you a car to pick you up after the show, so don't worry about anything else. You can rock up in jeans and one of those awful shirts if you want to, I don't particularly care personally though others might talk." He gave a sneering chuckle which I knew was totally fake. I could hear the gratitude and my instincts told me that he wasn't doing too well. For him to ask me to actually be there as a support, something definitely wasn't right. "Seriously though, don't worry about looking fancy. As long as you're there, that's all that matters."

"I'm sure I can come up with something. Leave it to me Futo, I'll do what I can for you." I promised him and he said a few more words along the lines of not even daring to think about getting sick before he hanging up. "Just like you, Futo." I chuckled before I looked at the charm on my phone, thinking of Miwa. I smiled, brushing my finger against it before I continued with the washing. There was so much to do with everyone in bed. I called up both Wataru's and Yusuke's schools to inform them that they wouldn't be going every morning for the last three days. I think they were starting to doubt me but I couldn't change excuses and lie, after all they really were ill.

The fridge was starting to get low on food and I needed to make food for everyone. Some of them like Ukyo, Kaname, the twins and Wataru were eating fairly well, though the others not so much. I'd been keeping up on research for the best types of food to give them to boost their immune systems and keep their metabolism up to help combat the illness but it seemed to be working only a little. Deciding on something light, I made up a list of things I needed, however just as I was about to head to the shops my phone started to buzz.

Yusuke had been sick, Wataru couldn't sleep and Ukyo needed ice. Oh no, I can't be in four places at once, but I really needed to get food. I was hungry myself, I'd barely stopped to eat over the past few days being on my feet almost all the time. Several times I'd been woken up in the night by someone coughing or my phone buzzing, but I never minded it. What should I do? I looked at my phone before suddenly I remembered Natsume. I could always ask him to get the groceries for me, I'm sure he'll have some time at some point after work, right?

Quickly I put down my bag and opened a message, sending it to Natsume explaining that everyone was sick but I couldn't get out the house to get food and asked if he'd pick some stuff up for me. I was surprised as almost instantly Natsume called, making me jump slightly before I answered. "H-Hello?"

"You're only asking me for help now? How long have they been sick?" He asked me in a flat tone and I blushed. It's been a while since I've actually seen him but his voice was as velvety as I remembered. My stomach twisted and flared slightly but I forced myself to stay calm.

"Well, it got really bad about two days ago, though some of them are starting to do better. Mostly they've just been resting." I answered him honestly. "But Iori and the twins are taking it the worst, Subaru isn't too good either and some of the others need me to sort some things out for them, so I can't go get any food at the moment."

"How much do you have left?" I was silent. How exactly do I tell him that I couldn't even make an omelette? "Damn it, have you been running around after those guys all this time? Stay home, I'll be over after I've been to the store, what kind of things do you need?" I breathed with relief, so glad to hear him say that he'd help. I didn't doubt he would, though no doubt he'll be angry with me when he arrives.

"I'll send you a list. Thanks Natsume, I owe you one." I said before hurriedly hanging up. I squeaked, clutching my phone tightly against me before I forced myself to breathe. It's all going to be okay, just focus Rikona, you need to deal with the others first, Yusuke probably needs help the most right now so I'll start with that. Yusuke was groaning when I reached his room, the smell penetrating the air.

"Sorry…" He groaned as he leaned over his bed. He'd managed to throw up into a bin so I quickly removed the lining and tied it up, opening a window to let fresh air inside.

"Don't worry about it, it's no problem at all. You just focus on getting better." I told him. "If I made food later, would you want it?" He shook his head. That's when you knew Yusuke was definitely ill, he didn't want food. I discarded the waste and returned with a large bucket for him to use just in case as well as bringing him a large bottle of water to drink and rinse out his mouth. I also gave him a mint to suck on so that he didn't have the aftertaste before then checking his temperature again. It had gone down but the vomiting wasn't a good sign.

Next I went to Ukyo, bringing him ice wrapped in a cloth which I placed on his head as he gave my hand a weak squeeze. "I'm so sorry to make you do all this. How are the others?" He asked weakly, glasses set on his bedside table as I sponged away the sweat. Even though he was ill he'd continued to work on the case so I'd set him up with a bed table to write on with his books and notes neatly piled within arm's reach.

"Some of them are getting better slowly, I'm taking care of everything so you don't need to worry at all. Your court date is in three days, so you have to be better for that. Your fever is coming down and you're not coughing so much anymore, I'm guessing the antibiotics are working." Ukyo nodded his head in agreement. With Masaomi away I had had to call for a doctor and he was a little overwhelmed with the sickness and was quick to prescribe medicine and antibiotics, leaving all the details with me and I had a very strict list of when people should take their medicines and how much of them. Come to think of it, Louis and Wataru will need theirs soon.

I gave Louis his antibiotics first before carrying the bottle of cold and flu medicine for Wataru to his room where he was crying quietly in his bed. "Hey little bunny, why're you crying like that?"

"My head hurts." He told me, reaching out to me for a hug so I wrapped my arms around him. "It hurts so bad I can't sleep. I don't like being ill big sis." He snuggled deep into my chest, sitting on my lap as I curled my arms around him and kissed his head.

"It's okay, it won't be much longer before you're fit as a fiddle. I brought your medicine for you and those gummy vitamins you like. You ready to take them?" Wataru nodded his head before pinching his nose, opening his mouth with a look of readied disgust. I had to agree that this medicine wasn't the greatest, I had it once or twice as a kid and it wasn't a pleasant memory. We got it over with quickly and Wataru swallowed before grabbing his juice, chugging down a good portion before I then gave him two gummies.

"You're the best, big sis." Wataru sighed as I hugged him again. I held him for a little while longer before I got him a cooling cloth and some lavender oil, the scent helping to soothe his headache and I stayed with him curled into me until he was fast asleep, allowing me to tuck him up in bed and leave him to rest. By the time I got back upstairs I felt like I could quite happily collapse, yet the moment I moved towards the sofa, my phone buzzed again. Tsubaki wanted a drink. Sighing wistfully at the sofa I turned around and got several drinks prepared, knowing that soon enough the others would want them too.


	21. Chapter 21

By the time Natsume got here, I'd been running around on my feet for several hours straight, cleaning up as well. When he walked in, he looked around the place and frowned. "It looks spotless." He said, shooting me a look as I stood in the kitchen, putting away a glass I had just washed and dried. I blinked, glancing around before giving a shrug.

"The guys aren't up and about to make it messy." I excused before turning to face him. "Thank you so much for this, I'll go get you the money for everything." I said, making to go and get my purse but Natsume held out an arm to block my way before I could even move past him.

"Don't worry about it. Let me look at you." I gulped slightly, awkwardly looking away as he turned my head towards him and felt my temperature, observing my closely. He moved his hand a little, making sure for himself that I wasn't ill before he dropped his hand. "You look pale and tired." He announced and I pouted slightly in annoyance, hugging my waist slightly.

"It's been a rough couple of days. Thanks again for the food, I'll find a way to pay you back somehow." I said quickly before beginning to unpack everything, however when Natsume shrugged out of his jacket and slipped off his tie I blinked at him, watching as he rolled up his sleeves. "You don't have to stay if you need to get going Natsume, I didn't mean to impose on you like this…"

"Its fine, I was done with work for the day anyway." He informed me before beginning to help me unpack everything. He even stayed and helped me prepare food, quickly putting something together then sectioned it up so that everyone had a portion. I set some aside for Yusuke as well just in case he wanted to eat and I sent out a message to everyone asking who wanted food. Those who were asleep didn't answer and when I received a string of messages I set up that number of dishes. I was glad to see Iori was awake, I'd been spoon feeding him for the last couple of days now. "You've been doing all this by yourself all this time?" Natsume asked in a low voice and I nodded my head, focusing on my task. "You should depend on others a little more, you shouldn't have to do this on your own."

"It's alright, I don't see it as a bother at all. I just want everyone to get better and be back on their feet." I said, still not glancing his way as I focused on what I was doing, preparing a few fruit slices for Wataru as I knew he liked it when I cut the apples to look like bunnies.

"That's not the point." Natsume sighed, running a hand down his face as he leaned against the worktop. "When was the last time you ate?" I paused slightly, trying to think. Now Natsume was mad, he flew at me like a fiery breeze and grabbed my wrist, pulling me over to the table and made me sit down. "You stay there and don't move. I'll give everyone their food whilst you eat something. You can't keep going like this."

"I haven't really had much of an appetite, it's not like I've been starving myself or anything." I protested, trying to stand back up but I was forced back down again. I'd forgotten how strong he was, it felt like he wasn't even trying to put me back in my seat. "Natsume, I'm fine, really!"

"Just eat." He ordered, putting some food down in front of me and I looked at it. No matter how tasty it looked, I just couldn't work up the stomach to eat it. I was too worried about everyone else. "Eat." Natsume reached out and picked up a fork, twirling it into the noodles as he knelt down next to me. He blew away the steam and turned my face to meet his, his other hand pulling on my chin to open my mouth as I stared at him, too taken aback to react before he placed the noodles into my mouth. Naturally I closed my mouth, chewing on the food as I continued to look at Natsume with slight alarm as he gave me a sinfully handsome smile. "There, leave the rest to me kiddo."

I looked away again, disliking the way he then ruffled my hair and walked away to bring the food to the others. He still doesn't see me as anything else but a child. Quite honestly it makes me so mad, he acts so easy around me whilst he doesn't even notice how fast my heart is pounding in my chest. Any faster and it'll break my own ribs. Reluctantly I forced myself to eat as much as I could though I only managed a few more mouthfuls before I was full, so I left it on the side for the time being and finished cleaning up, making sure the kitchen was spotless before I got another text.

Kaname wanted to know if we had any painkillers so I went and got some from the medicine cupboard, making sure it was the right packet before I then brought it to Kaname's room. He sat up when I knocked and entered, giving me a smile. "Now seeing you is better than any medicine, little lady. You've been taking care of me so diligently, I feel like I could just stay ill forever." He said to me as I went to his side and popped out two tablets for him.

"Don't be silly, I've already got several calls from the shrine asking how you're doing. They really want you to get better again, so you can't let them down." I answered as I then passed him his drink so that he could swallow the painkillers. His fever was gone but Kaname was still displaying signs of infection so I forced him to stay in bed and continue taking his antibiotics. Sighing deeply he lay back down, turning his head to look at me and I blushed slightly seeing as he was in bed shirtless. "Do you need anything else?"

"How about your lovely company at my side? I think if you were to let me hold you in my arms I'd be cured." He said, holding out his arms but I just arched an eyebrow at him. He just didn't know when to stop flirting. I didn't hold it against him as it was just part of his nature, all the same there were times when I couldn't quite tell if he was still messing with me or he was actually being serious.

"I've got to go give the others their antibiotics. Give me a shout if you need anything else, okay?" Kaname chuckled, letting his arms drop to rest around his head.

"I can never win against you, can I?" He said warmly before closing his eyes. Leaving him to peace and quiet I closed the door behind me, however when I turned and saw Natsume frowning at me. I almost jumped out of my skin, hand flying to my chest where my pulse quickened in a panic.

"Natsume! Don't sneak up on me like that, you almost gave me a heart attack." I exhaled after a moment, shaking my head. "I'm about to do the medicine round before going to bed, I can handle it from here if you need to go home." But Natsume just continued to look at me, expression hard and contemplative so I blushed, touching my neck as I felt it flush deeply. "So um, goodnight."

"I'll help you." He finally said, pushing himself upright before following after me, though I glanced at him shyly before I went around to everyone's rooms who needed to take their antibiotics, either reminding them or waking them up so that they could then take them. Iori was back into a rather deep sleep so even as I shook him, he didn't wake up. "You want me to wake him?" Natsume offered but shook my head, sliding into a sitting position next to Iori before I lifted him up, letting his head rest against my shoulder.

"It's okay, I've done this numerous times now. He may not look it, but he is partly conscious." I explained as I tilted a drink to his lips and sure enough, Iori's lips moved and he drank a little. "Can you pop out two tablets for me please?" I spoke in a soft whisper, holding out my hand and Natsume complied, dropping two tablets into my hand and I carefully shifted them across to my other palm before I reached to the bedside next to me. There was a bottle of honey with a nozzle top and I slowly smeared a few drops onto Iori's lower lip, making him groan and his tongue slid out to lick the sweetness and I quickly popped the first tablet into his mouth before giving him a drink, helping him to swallow before I repeated the process. All the while Natsume was just watching me and his heavy gaze made my cheeks remain permanently red until finally I was able to set Iori down. He sighed contentedly, going into the most relaxed state I'd seen him in a while and when I checked his temperature, I was relieved to find it had gone down. "He's getting better." I smiled, looking up at Natsume.

"That's good. Come on, you need some rest too." He said to me quietly, reaching out to take my wrist but I jerked back out of pure reaction, already overly anxious just with him being so close to me.

"I'm fine, there's some other things I need to do first so I'll just get them over with." Then like a breeze I rushed past him, bowing my head to hide my face as Natsume blinked after me. I made the excuse on a whim but in reality, all that really needed doing were the bins and the ironing, but the latter could wait until tomorrow. Tying off the plastic bags to take them outside I turned to see Natsume had followed me.

"It's not a bad thing for you to relax every once on a while. Come on, at least let me do that for you." He extended his hands to take the bins, leaving the offer open and I glanced at him before nodding my head in defeat. I was pretty tired, he was right about that and Natsume was just trying to look out for me, so I handed them over. "Get some sleep kiddo." My head remained bowed even as he turned away and left, none the wiser. I really hate that pet name. It sucks. Right now, however, I was too exhausted to be that bothered by it. My bed felt like such a long way away and the sofa was so much closer so I dragged myself over to it, collapsing down and closed my eyes, feeling the darkness of the evening wash over me as I drifted for a few minutes, until I felt someone gingerly shaking my arm.

"Big sis?"

"Hm…Wataru? Oh hey, you're up." I said as I forced my eyes open, lifting myself up onto my arm as he looked at me winsomely, holding his stuffed bunny by one arm. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm feeling a lot better but I had a nightmare. Can I snuggle with you?" He asked and instantly my heart flew out to him so I nodded my head with a smile, reaching out and he instantly snuggled into my chest, letting me wrap my arms around him as he used my arm as a pillow and I dragged a blanket that was resting over the sofa to cover us, my hair pooling forwards as Wataru curled into me, holding his bunny as well and I could feel the soft material tickling my skin. "Goodnight big sis."

"Goodnight little bunny." I murmured before my eyes slid shut. For a while they didn't open, however when I felt someone pushed their arms underneath both me and Wataru, I blinked blearily, catching someone's clean scent before I hazily fell back asleep again for a few minutes before I managed to open my eyes a little more when I was being placed down on my bed, Wataru still tucked in close to me. "N…Natsume?" I questioned, seeing his familiar silhouette in the darkness. His hand reached out and framed my face, brushing through my hair for a few moments as my eyes flickered, struggling to stay open. He'd managed to carry both me and Wataru at the same time? He really must be strong, my cheeks warmed slightly at the thought.

Before I knew it I had dropped back into sleep, the last sensation I remember being Natsume's fingers combing rather softly through my hair.


	22. Chapter 22

Within two days most, if not all, were back on their feet and Masaomi returned from his conference, meaning that he insisted on taking over the medical care and I was allowed to turn my attention to Futo's concert date. When the day arrived I was extremely jittery, unable to stop shaking even as I picked out my dress. I knew Futo said he didn't care what I wore but I did, I wanted to at least look like I was meant to be there otherwise security might not even let me through the doors. Of course Miwa's necklace didn't leave my neck and I slipped on Futo's earrings, the dangling droplets rather delicate and I tried to think of what to do with my hair, but of course I eventually turned to Louis for help.

"Sure thing, it's like, no trouble at all Kona. After all you did for me when I was totally sick, it's the least I can do for you." He said before coming home from work during his break in order to fix me up. He asked to see what I would be wearing so I showed him the dress and instantly he started on my hair. I watched him in the mirror as he curled and styled my hair as I became entranced with the way he so effortlessly manipulated it.

He pulled it up into a loose up do with numerous pins to hold it in place, spraying it so that it would stay fixed. It fully exposed my neck and he'd brushed my hair so that my bangs were swept to the side of my face, elegantly sweeping over one eye though he had curled it so that it didn't hide it completely. It was so stylish and I really felt amazing. "Oh Louis thank you, it looks wonderful." I smiled to him, standing and giving him a hug which he returned gently.

"You're totally welcome. Hey, are you going to wear any makeup or anything? Since you've made all this effort, you might as well really finish the look. Want some help with that too?" He offered and I blinked at him.

"You do makeup as well?" he smiled at me, his pale hair softening every feature as he began to dig through his kit and pulled out an emergency makeup supply.

"Of course, I'm more into the hair but I took a full course so I'm totally qualified. It was actually Hikaru that got me into all this sort of stuff because, like, he always looked so great. I used to draw and stuff, but I like to think that hair and faces are the most interesting canvases." I never thought about it that way. I let Louis do my makeup as well, listening to his tips and cheats as he gave me a very simply look with delicately winged eyeliner, mascara, a little contour to my cheeks and a gloss to make my lips look a little fuller. "There, pretty as a princess, Kona."

"You're amazing Louis, I never realised what makeup can do to bring out someone's features." I said as I looked at myself in the mirror, rather astonished. "You're a miracle worker!"

"Not really, I just highlighted all the best things about you from the outside. All the good stuff is in your heart." He said, nodding towards my necklace and I touched it, blushing slightly but I felt really honoured and touched by his words. He wished me luck then left me to get changed and I carefully pulled on the dress, not wanting to risk damaging it. This was one of Miwa's choices that she had found for me. Ordinarily I wouldn't have picked out something like this, but when I put it on it was more than perfect.

With a modest scoop neckline that covered my chest up to my collarbone. I looked really smart when I looked at myself in the mirror, hardly even recognising myself as I slipped on some strappy heels. The dress was a deep blue colour that reached down to just above my knees in a fitted shape that followed my waist before flaring slightly with the light chiffon overlay. It looked very chic, however when I turned my back the line suddenly dropped down to the middle of my back, exposing my skin with loose chiffon gathered to meet together just above the small of my back, material of clear fabric crossing diagonally with sparkling gems of silvery white. I really did feel good and I gave a small twirl before practicing walking in the heels. They weren't very big and I had worn heels before but very rarely, but I was glad to find that I very quickly picked it up again.

I grabbed a clutch and slipped my phone and keys inside, pulling the chain free to slip it over my shoulder after I had pulled on a large coat to hide what I was wearing. The guys knew I was going out to Futo's do and they had practically begged me to let them see what I was wearing, but I was just too embarrassed, so I snuck out the moment I received a text to let me know the car was there. The chauffeur kindly opened the door for me and I gave a polite bow as I thanked him, making him blink in surprise but then he smiled.

He asked me if I was nervous as he drove, making light conversation with me and I engaged to the best of my ability, though I was secretly so nervous that I could feel my hands beginning to grow clammy and cold. I have to do this, Futo asked me to come and I can't let him down now. Just take deep breaths and lift your head. Pretend you're Miwa, confident and stylish, at least I look the part now. After giving myself a little pep talk I felt better, able to relax myself a little.

When we arrived I felt a surge of panic. My legs shook so much I thought I was going to fall, however the kind chauffeur held out his hand to help me exit, letting me grip onto him for support until I was balanced. "Have fun, ma'am." He said and we bowed to each other politely as I thanked him again before going in. It was only then that it occurred to me that I didn't have an invitation or anything as I walked up to the man checking people off the list. There were so many beautiful men and women here, I recognised a few of them from the movies. They all looked so glamorous, sparkling even without their jewels as the ladies slipped off their fur shawls to reveal stunning dresses that made my eyes widen. Perhaps I should have gone for that sparkly dress after all. Oh well, too late to change my mind now.

"Name, miss?" I blinked, returning my focus to the man who was looked at me, frowning slightly as if he were trying to place my face. I blushed.

"Rikona. Rikona Hinata." I said and he looked through before checking me off the list. He gave me a welcoming smile.

"Please enjoy yourself, Miss Hinata." He greeted and I sighed with relief before stepping inside. The moment I was stepping into the gold and scarlet lobby I was in awe, gazing at everything that I almost missed someone offering to take my coat. It was very plain in comparison as it was my winter coat with a fluffy hood, but the boy didn't even seem to notice as he helped to slide it off my shoulders then tagged it with my name so that he could hang it up.

"Um…thank you." I murmured, holding onto my clutch tightly as I looked around. Was Futo going to come and get me or should I just follow everyone else? They all seemed to be going in different directions though and there was a queue for the elevator.

"Miss Hinata?" When I heard my name being spoken I looked to find a rather burly man in a black suit and shades looking at me. I squeaked before nodding my head. "Please follow me, I'm here to escort you upstairs." He informed me before holding out he hand, extending it forwards. "This way, please." Rattled and all too aware of how much bigger this guy was than me, I nervously allowed him to guide me forwards. To my surprise we went straight to the front of the queue, people frowning at me as I tried my best to keep my face from showing any fear. My escort showed a golden pass and instantly I was allowed into an elevator all to myself, my escort nodding to the guy operating the elevator before we were then taking up to the very top of the hotel.

He said nothing to me as we went upwards and I steadied my breathing, finding confidence from somewhere to draw myself up to my full height. Think of Miwa, think of Futo, it's all for him so I have to be braver. If I can face a tidal wave and survive, I can live through this, right? When the doors opened I saw numerous celebrities and rich people loitering in their own conversations throughout the hall and I tried to avoid eye contact, even as I recognised a few of them. They all stared at me, not knowing who I was however when we reached the double doors the golden pass was shown again and the two guys standing there opened them without question. I glanced up to my escort and he nodded, a flicker of a smile touching his lips and instantly, I felt better so I bowed to him. "Thank you very much." I said before turning, stepping into a beautiful penthouse with a waterfall flowing prettily into an indoor fountain.

No one paid attention to me as I stepped inside, thankfully, save for a few glances before interest was quickly lost, however now that I was here I didn't know what to do. I couldn't see Futo anywhere. It was obviously a high class social standing and I began to walk forwards, taking the stairs one at a time as I glanced around. Everything seemed to be normal, at least normal for what I always imagined a party like this to be like. Everyone was wearing the very best of their wardrobe, though I blushed when I saw some of the women wearing more skin than fabric.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs I continued forwards, turning my head slightly to look for Futo and finally I spotted him standing in conversation in the corner of the room, however his eyes were fixed on me. That little jerk, not waving me over when he knew I was here. Ugh, I bet he did that on purpose just to see me go into a panic attack. Though, now that I think about it, his expression didn't seem smug. In fact if anything he looked like he was in shock so I frowned, looking around to see if there was something else that he'd seen. I gave him a look and finally he waved me over, holding out his hand.

Sighing with relief I went over to him, walking as carefully as I could as to not trip before I reached out my hand, smiling as I took his. "Hey Futo. I made it, just like I promised." I informed him as his eyes looked me up and down. "And you are forbidden to tell the others about this, you hear me?"

"Don't worry, it'll be our little secret." He suddenly smirked, pulling me a little closer to place his arm around me. "Mr Takeda, this is my illustrious sister that you've heard so much about. Rikona." He introduced and I quickly shot him a look. If I'm not mistaken, his voice was filled with pride and his arm was wrapped rather tightly around my waist, a hand resting on my back and I was momentarily confused. He was definitely not acting like himself but I brushed it off quickly to turn and face an older gentleman who was smiling at me in greeting. I bowed my head respectfully, hands in front of me.

"Hello Mr Takeda, it's a pleasure to meet you." Instantly his smile softened further as I lifted my head and with a spark, I realised that I had earned his approval already.

"You are a very lovely looking lady, Miss Hinata. I've heard many things about you." I looked across to Futo who only gave me a wink. Wait until I get him later, I'll force him to tell me what this is all about. "Please, don't be shy and make yourself at home. You may help yourself to anything you like."

"Thank you very much for your hospitality, Mr Takeda." I responded smoothly, slowly beginning to feel my nervousness ebb away as I began to adjust to the situation. Futo led the conversation from there and I quickly gathered that this was his manager as they began to discuss the concert and how to improve things, as well as tossing around a few ideas for their next show. I answered only when asked a direct question, happy to simply observe my surroundings as other people slowly began to join in. Musicians, singers, pop idols, famous actresses who were fawning over Futo with their polished fingernails and numerous other people until we were a very large group and I was unknowingly shrinking back a little, quietly watching. One woman in particular caught my attention and something about her made me uneasy. She was glamorous and had flowing blonde curls, her full lips painted red as the low neckline of her dress exposed large breasts as well as sporting a large slit up her dress which exposed most of her legs.

"Futo my darling, you were _wonderful_." She purred, sliding her arms around him and slid her jewelled fingernails over his chest as she leaned against his ear. "Very soon you'll be a man and I'm positively _quivering_ to see how much more handsome you'll be then." My eyes noticed Futo clench his fist, his shoulders tensing and, as if could sense it on the air, I knew that he was extremely uncomfortable. Before I knew what I was doing I was stepping forwards and had gripped onto Futo's sleeve to tug him towards me.

People blinked in surprise as my other hand flicked out and knocked the blonde woman's away, Futo's eyes widening as he was pulled against me and I wrapped my arms around him protectively even as the woman's mouth dropped open like rosy red petals that fell from the flower. For a moment I was tense, unsure of what next to do so I exhaled softly to relax, holding Futo close against me as I then smiled, lifting my head to give my prettiest beam. "My little brother is already very cute, I don't want him to grow up at all." I said to everyone and they chuckled in response as I pinched Futo's cheek and he instantly tried to brush me off.

"Hey cut that out! I'm not a child you know." I kept up the pretence, pestering him with gentle pokes against his face as I gazed at him imploringly.

"Don't be embarrassed Fu-Fu, everybody knows how adorable you are. I'm super lucky to be your big sister, and I get to tease you like this as much as I want." He knocked away my hands even as I gripped onto him however he didn't put any effort into escaping, standing perfectly still with one arm still wrapped over him. As everyone else laughed and began to talk about their own siblings and their antics, I looked across to the blonde woman with a cold, narrowed glare. She glared back before lifting her chin and walking away, snatching a drink and downing it in one. Was she one of those kind of women who were only into young boys? I began to suspect that this was the reason Futo had asked me here, had she been pursuing him? Perverted lady.

"Hey." Futo said to me quietly as the group moved on and left us behind before I could notice. I looked down at him, realising that I still had my arms locked over him. "Thanks for being here, I really needed you." His voice was sincere though he didn't look at me, arms loose at his side.

"That's okay Futo, you should have just told me that lady was being a pain. I'd have given her a piece of my mind the moment I walked in." I said but he shook his head.

"You don't get it. Of course you wouldn't, you don't know anything about this sort of thing. In this kind of society, I can't afford to make enemies or cause a scene, it would ruin everything I've worked for." He bit out snappily and I blinked, making to draw back my arms but Futo gripped onto them tightly, keeping them locked over him and this quick movement made me flinch slightly. "But you, you don't have anything to lose, so you reacting like that was perfect. She'll hate you, but she'll still love me. She'll blame you but she'll keep on introducing me to people I need to use in order to get to the top of the industry and beat back anyone who opposes me." At his dark words I ripped my arms free and took several steps back, clenching a fist at my side as I bit on my lip. I don't want to hear this from him, this isn't Futo. It's just a lie, he's just pretending.

"Don't talk like that. People aren't tools for you to use, you know. If you're determined to make such a name for yourself, at least make it a name you can be proud of!" There was enough talk and chatter that no one noticed us, however Futo looked alarmed as I lifted my eyes to reveal them to be full of ferocity laying momentarily in slumber, like the choppy ocean before the storm. "Using people for your own gain, it's despicable and I will not allow you to become a person such as that. A thousand songs and good connections won't make you famous, it'll be the way you connect to your fans which will lift you up. Focus on what's important, Futo Asahina, not solely on what you want." The words flowed effortlessly from my lips as if I were simply articulating a poem.

He remained frozen in place, unable to look away as the shock of my sudden personality change took him by surprise. Without warning my head began to spin and I flinched, a hand jumping to my head as I felt the room spin for a moment. That was weird, guess all those sleepless nights were beginning to catch up to me. I probably should have taken a nap before coming here, it was almost midnight after all and Cinderella was still at her ball. "I need air." I muttered before turning away and heading towards the balcony, sliding back the doors before closing them behind me.

Instantly the cool night air was refreshing and I breathed, leaning against the railing as I gazed up at the moon. It was a perfect night, but I didn't feel particularly good. What was Futo up to? He was trying so desperately to be somebody he wasn't and he was beginning to convince himself that that was truly who he was. It made me feel sick. For a while I was alone just keeping to myself, hardly even noticing the cold as I thought over everything Futo had said. Using people for his own gain? I won't allow it, for his sake more than anything.

The party seemed to have got busier and noisier, I could hear several rounds of laughter and a few girly squeals but I pushed it all aside. These VIP parties were alright, but they're not exactly what I expected. Some of the guests there were nice enough to talk to me, trying to make me feel comfortable when we'd been in that big group but I think I just made an idiot of myself, especially when it was an extremely hot movie star. I wasn't all into that sort of stuff, but still it was nerve wracking having someone so attractive trying to talk to you.

Behind me the door slid open, momentarily turning up the volume of the party inside before it closed again. "So you're little Futo's sister, huh?" I turned around and came face to face with that blonde woman who lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply before blowing the smoke into my face, making me cough and swipe at the air. "You're not as pretty as I expected you to be from the way he talks about you."

"I'm sorry to fall below your expectations." I answered coolly, strangely my irritation outweighing any anxiety I felt right then. Her glittery nails glinted and my eyes narrowed further. It really pissed me off thinking that those hands had been working their way over Futo, it was sickening. She took another breath of her cigarette, holding it daintily between two fingers as she eyed me carefully.

"You're not actually his sister though, you're just somebody the Asahina family got stuck with. Right?" Her sardonic drawl was beginning to get on my nerves. Who does she think she is? I knew she wasn't a movie star because I've never seen her face before, or at least I've never seen her face being advertised. "Futo might have the others fooled, but he knows he can talk to me. He's told me all about how overbearing you are, constantly harassing him about his homework, how you're always crying to get attention and how you're taking over things bit by bit. Honestly, how desperate can you be? Just face it, those boys don't really need you. You're just a liability to them, a despicable little leech who undoubtedly uses her body to get her way. Futo is _mine_ , and you cannot do anything to keep him away from me. I have big plans for him, he'll be a useful little toy until I'm done with him." She smirked again, dark eyes glinting as she exhaled smoke like a she-dragon.

For a brief moment I almost believed her, thinking about how I had suddenly appeared on their doorstep and forced my way into their lives. I never actually asked any of them how they felt about me coming to live with them, dad just made all the arrangements. Then there's that stuff about Futo that she told me, that was almost believable as it was Futo, however I then thought back to that first day on the beach, how he had stared at me before crying in my arms. _That_ had been Futo, and I knew him well enough to know that if he had a problem with me over anything, he'd come out and say it right at my face. Anger beginning to spark in my chest, I clenched my fist.

"Do you really think half assed attempts like that are actually going to make me cry?" I smirked, tilting my head up to look her directly in the eye. "Please, don't make me laugh." The woman was taken aback, starting slightly as she coughed out the cigarette she'd been inhaling from. "Futo and I have our differences but I couldn't care less about what you have to say about us. As far as I'm concerned, Futo is my little brother, and I won't permit anyone with hands as slimy and disgusting as yours to touch him ever again. He's not your toy to play with." The breeze brushed through my hair, lifting my side swept fringe so that my focused eyes hammered into her soul. "I may not know a lot about this kind of lifestyle, but I know your type well enough. If you think that I'll let you use him like a pet and then drop him after you're bored, then you've got another thing coming, little hussy." Her mouth dropped open in appalled shock, staring at me at a loss for words. All talk, no brains. Figures.

Behind her the door, which she had failed to close properly, slid open and Futo stepped out into the balcony, clapping his hands slowly. "Bravo, I was truly moved by your performance. Quite the show." He announced as he brushed past the blonde and came to stand in front of me, eyes mischievous yet bright as his fingers caught my chin in a gentle yet commanding grip. Futo? Had he heard all that? "You really don't know when to close that pretty little mouth of yours, do you?" He questioned before pulling me down towards him and I yelped, my hands instantly gripping onto the railings behind me for stability as Futo pressed a deep kiss against my mouth. Why is it people seemed to have an apparent fascination with my mouth?! I'm frozen all over and the adrenalin is not kicking in to help me out this time. Futo kissed me at his leisure, the breath trapped in my lungs as I stared at him in alarm, his lips giving a soft tug on mine before he pulled back with a wink. "That makes two."

"Huh?!" I squeaked like a mouse, barely able to comprehend my surroundings as the woman just stared at us.

"F-Futo honey, you know I was only teasing, right? Don't be hasty now, I was only having a little fun with the girl." As my hand slowly lifted to cover my mouth, Futo turned around to face the blonde who was trying to smile at him sweetly. "Why don't we go back inside and have a drink? You and I can have a long chat together somewhere cosy?" But Futo only tugged me closer to him, arm around my waist as he didn't even bother to look at her.

"Sorry, but cougars really aren't what I'm into." He answered and she seethed at the insult as a sharp laugh escaped me before I could stop it, so I clamped my hand back over my mouth as Futo tightened his grip on me further. "I'm more into the big sister type." This was all a little too much, my head is starting to spin again and my stomach keeps on churning. Am I going to throw up? The blonde, who had crushed her cigarette in her hand spun on her heel and stalked away, heels clicking and I exhaled, feeling the rush of relief overwhelm me and I dropped to the ground. "Hey! Don't go passing out on me now." Futo complained, managing to catch me somewhat though I couldn't hold myself upright. Once I was balanced on the ground, his hand went to my forehead. "Just like I thought, you're burning up even though it's cold out. You idiot, you went and got sick didn't you? I thought I told you not to do that." He told me off and I blinked open my eyes, unable to keep from smiling.

"Guess I'm not very good at meeting expectations." I murmured to him before groaning softly, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep.

"Come on, let's get out of here. I was growing bored anyway." Futo said, trying to give me a little shake and I nodded my head, never agreeing more. "By the way, all those things you said." He began slowly and I looked up at him, seeing a pensive expression as he gazed off into the distance. "Even when we were back inside. They made me happy, you know. The way you got mad like that, it showed me that you really care." Reaching out Futo took my hand, holding it in his as he began to rub my fingers to keep them warm. "And you're right. If I'm going to become someone who's known all across the world, I need to be able to look back with no regrets. I'll do my best to make you proud, Rikki, I won't let you down." Still in a bit of a daze I hardly realised what I was doing when I pulled Futo into my arms, holding him close as his fingers wrapped around the bars of the railings, tensing up in surprise.

"Futo, you're so cute, but I'm already proud of you." I murmured to him gently. "I'm really happy…that you're my little brother…I really am proud…"


	23. Chapter 23

Somehow I managed to get back home whilst remaining conscious, Futo having to let me go as he had responsibilities as the guest of honour but he had that security guard from before escort me back. I think the others were a little surprised, however when I finally fell forwards against someone, they were quick to catch me then help me to bed. I think it was Masaomi, but I couldn't sure. That was all in the past now, and Christmas would be arriving soon, however one day when I came down for breakfast I found a large vase of flowers with an envelope next to it.

"Hey Rikki, any idea who gave you these?" Yusuke asked as everyone gathered around, rather bewildered and confused as to why a huge bunch of lilies with my name on a florists' business card had arrived in the morning.

"It looks like our little sister has an admirer, you sure kept that quiet." Kaname said to me teasingly as I frowned slightly, at a loss myself.

"I'm not seeing anyone, so that can't be it." I replied before reaching for the envelope, open it up and everyone watched me very closely as I opened the card that had cute little angel holding a bunch of flowers. It was from my dad, that's right! I'd totally forgotten. "Oh! They're from my dad, I totally forgot today was the seventh." I said, laughing at myself as I scratched my head. Guess I did it again, forgetting what today was. I did the same last year, and the year before that.

"Wait, you're saying that _today_ is your birthday Rikki?!" Tsubaki questioned, everyone's jaws dropping as I gave a grin.

"That's right, I completely forgot. Happy birthday to me." I said cheerfully for reaching out for the flowers, inhaling their soft aroma. "I'll move these for everyone, sorry they came as a surprise and got in the way."

"No wait, wait, so you're turning twenty one years old today?" Subaru asked and I nodded my head. Pretty sure I was. "Why didn't you tell any of us?"

"Yeah big sis! We want to celebrate with you!" Wataru cheered, beaming happily at me so I rubbed his head, giving him a loving smile.

"That's really sweet Wataru but I really hate being made a fuss of, today's just like any other day. It doesn't really mean anything special to me, it's more special to my dad because it was the day he got me, so it's more of a thing for him than anything else." I explained as I then went and picked up the vase of flowers, carefully making sure that I had a good grip before lifting them off the table. "So don't worry about it, it's my fault for forgetting, so it's no big deal." Tossing them all a smile. "Anyway, today I'm going Christmas shopping with Wataru, that's more than enough of a celebration for me. Right Wataru?"

"Yeah! I'll make sure it's an extra fun day for you big sis, leave it to me." He told me determinedly and I smiled at him before transporting the flowers to my room. They really were pretty, I made a quick call to dad to thank him where he and Miwa sang happy birthday for me and she told me to spend the day however I like and that she's looking forward to coming home for Christmas.

When we both hung up after it was over I got my things ready, making sure I had my bag, phone, wallet and keys. With my warm coat over my arm I returned back upstairs were some of the guys were talking in hushed tones however I walked past them, getting myself some breakfast as Wataru bounced up to me, already wrapped up in his coat, scarf, gloves and bobble hat, excited to be going shopping with me. "You ready yet big sis?"

"Hold on little bunny, I need to finish my breakfast first." I chuckled, ruffling his hat on his head before eating my toast as quickly as I were able without choking on it. The moment I was done Wataru was jumping around so I quickly washed up and called out to the guys that we were leaving before Wataru grabbed my hand and we were away. He had saved up his money since the beginning of autumn, earning pocket money from helping out with chores and he was determined to buy gifts for everyone. I had my own savings as well, in fact I had quite a lot saved up so money wasn't particularly a concern for me, I was just glad to spend time with Wataru.

"So big sis, where are we going first? Can we go look in the toy store?" Wataru asked but I laughed, holding onto his hand tightly as we moved through the crowds.

"Now little bunny, we're here to try and find things for other people. Christmas is the season to be giving as a way to show your love for everyone around you." I reminded him and he blinked slightly before recognising his mistake.

"Oh right, well in that case, shall we go in that shop over there? We might see something good!" He suggested and I looked to see he was pointing at a perfume shop. "Mom likes nice smelling things, can we go try a few?"

"Sure thing little bunny, come on." We went into the shop and Wataru had fun picking up bottles and spraying them to sniff the air and I giggled, spraying a little mist at his hand and he grinned up at me. I helped him read off all the labels telling us what the scents were, though since some of the words were rather long and complicated I prompted him along, long words such as exotic flowers and things like that. Eventually we both found one that we really liked, cherry blossom. It came in a light pink crystal bottle with the little flowers curled around the top. The moment Wataru smelled it, his eyes sparkled.

"This one smells great and mom's favourite flowers are cherry blossoms!" He exclaimed and I checked the price secretly.

"Why don't I buy this one and we can both give it to mom, hey little bunny?" I suggested to him and he looked at me. "You can save up your money a little more so that you have enough for everyone to get something special, is that okay?"

"Okay, I'd like it to come from both of us, that'll make mom really happy." He said and all the girls in the shop were cooing over him, saying how cute he was and I heartily agreed as I held onto his hand, not letting him wander far from me. The bottle was placed into a lovely light rose coloured box to keep it safe before it was tied up with a ribbon, expertly put together before being placed in a bag for us. Wataru asked me to carry it as he didn't want to accidentally bump the bag and break the perfume bottle and I was more than happy to.

We went from shop to shop, finding things that we thought other people would like and Wataru seemed to have a very keen eye for good gifts to give others. He found a cookery shop and suggested a cookbook for Ukyo before then finding smart cufflinks for Masaomi. For Hikaru Wataru bought a lucky bunny charm whilst I found him a set of bath oils as I knew that he liked to take long, relaxing baths. Together, Wataru and I made a pretty good team, our collection growing steadily until it was lunch time and I suggested we stop for food.

I could almost hear his stomach rumbling so we went to a slightly larger restaurant where we could put our bags down and I let Wataru order whatever he wanted. It was nice to spend time alone with him, Masaomi had asked me to take him out as a favour but I said it was no favour at all, I loved spending time with all my brothers. "So big sis, where should we go next? We still have to get something for Futo, Subaru and Natsume. What do you think they'd like?"

"Well little bunny, I was thinking that Futo could do with a few new school supplies, but that's no fun to get on Christmas day, so instead how about we look at something he could wear? He's very into his style, so maybe something like a new jacket would look good on him." I pondered for a moment as Wataru agreed, thinking that it was a good idea. "Subaru is really into his basketball, but I know of a few bands and the type of music he's into, so maybe we can find something along those lines." Natsume was the trickiest of them all because I absolutely had no clue what to get him.

I didn't know his tastes, his preferred music, I didn't even know what kind of food he liked to eat. Out of everyone, I'd say he's the one I knew the least and that made me feel rather disappointed. I wanted to know him better, there just never seemed to be the right moment to ask what kind of things he was into. Wataru gave me a few of his own ideas and I smiled, drinking my milkshake as I took on board everything he was saying until we were ready to move.

I checked twice that we had everything before moving on. Some of the gifts fit inside my bag safely so there weren't that many bags to carry, Wataru carrying one or two of his own. When we went into a few cloth stores I actually found a really nice waistcoat to go with a fashionable hat for Futo and Wataru agreed that it would really suit him, so I purchased it before we moved on. Eventually I found the perfect gift for Subaru which made me exhale with relief as I had started to worry about not finding anything, however now there was just one worry that remained. Natsume. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find him anything. Wataru said that he'd already found Natsume a present when he was out with Masaomi so I didn't pester him about it.

"I think we're all done little bunny, do you still want to go to the toy store? We've got time until we're meant to be home." I offered however Wataru, much to my surprise, shook his head.

"Nah, I know what we _should_ do though! There's an ice rink in the city centre and I really want to go! Can we please go big sis? Even if it's just to take a look?" He begged imploringly so I laughed, lifting my hands to make him calm down.

"Alright, alright, we can go if that's what you want to do." I agreed and instantly he started celebrating. The crowds were beginning to thicken so before Wataru could get too far ahead I snatched his wrist, pulling him back to me. "Wataru be careful!" I pulled him close to me, apologising with a bow of my head to the woman he'd almost knocked into but she just smiled. "It's really busy around here little bunny so you have to stay close to me okay? I'd be really upset if I lost you."

"Okay, I'll hold your hand so you don't feel so scared." He said and I blinked at him before chuckling, shifting the bags into my one hand so that I could hold Wataru's with the other. We followed the directions that had been put up for the ice rink and I don't know what I expected, but it definitely wasn't what I saw. It was huge! Fairy lights decorated every corner and people were skating in groups or couples, smiling as they glided over the ice almost effortlessly. I had never skated myself before, it looks like it would be hard to try and master on your own.

"Hey everyone! I brought big sis along just like you told me to!" My head shot up and I looked to see everyone standing near the rink, waving and grinning at me as Wataru let go of my hands and rushed forwards to greet them whilst I remained rooted to the spot.

"Hey Rikki! Surprise!" Tsubaki said as he approached me to take me by the hand that Wataru had dropped and pulled me forwards.

"Good job Wataru, I'm surprised you managed to not let anything slip." Hikaru said as he gave me a glossy lipped smile. I was a little confused, why was everyone here? Was it supposed to be a secret from me or something? Because that's exactly how it feels and it makes me suspicious. I thought I told everyone I didn't want to be made a fuss of.

"Don't worry, we're not here to celebrate your birthday or anything, my cute little sis, we're just here for a casual family outing that we just chose to keep a surprise from you." Tsubaki said as he nuzzled into my cheek, my face still suspicious as I looked at him until Azusa whacked him on the head. "Ow that hurt!"

"You were being a pain." He answered simply, adjusting his glasses before he placed his hand on my shoulder, making me look to him. "What Tsubaki was trying to say is that although you might not want to be fussed over on your birthday, we want to at least show you how special you are to us, not just your dad." He began as Masaomi nodded his head.

"That's right, every girl should be made to feel important on their birthday, no matter how old they get. Besides, after everything you've done for us, you've earned something in return for all your hard work and the time you put in supporting us." He reasoned and I blushed slightly, looking away.

"So let us make a _small_ fuss over you, little lady. Think of this as just our way of showing our love." Kaname finished before he head onto the ice, pulling Yusuke and Subaru along with him.

"I'm not really much of a skater so I'll just sit with the bags and watch. Don't worry honey, I won't peak." Hikaru winked at me before kissing my cheek, making me start slightly as my eyes widened. "Happy birthday beautiful." Then before I knew it the bags were gone from my hand and Tsubaki was once more pulling me to get me some skates. I was really touched, though I couldn't quite put it into words yet. They wanted to make this day special, but they did it in such a way so that we could all have fun together rather than putting me in the spotlight. It really warmed me from my chest to the tips of my fingers at their consideration that I was still in a daze even as I was putting on my skates.

"So Rikki, how are you at skating? Will you need me to hold your hand?" Tsubaki asked and I flushed slightly as I fumbled with the laces so Azusa kindly knelt down and did them for me, making quick work of them.

"Well actually, I've never skated on ice before. I'm not really sure what I'm meant to do." I admitted and they both looked at me quickly.

"No way! Well in that case we'll definitely teach you. Leave everything to us, you'll be gliding on your own in no time." Tsubaki promised and the moment my boots were secure he pulled me to my feet. Instantly I wobbled, yelping as I struggled to find any kind of balance on the sharp blades of my skates. How do people walk in these, let alone skate?! "Whoa there, I got you." Tsubaki winked, holding me a little too close for comfort whilst Azusa head onto the ice first, skating around a little to demonstrate.

"It's fairly simple when you get the hang of it, you're just using the blades to push yourself forwards. If Yusuke can do it when he has not an ounce of grace to his name then you'll have no problem." I breathed slowly, Tsubaki still holding onto my arm to help me stay upright and Azusa reached out a hand and was waiting just a few feet away, encouraging me to reach him. It was really nerve wracking, placing a foot onto the ice and immediately I slipped, relying on Tsubaki's grip to help keep me upright until I'd placed my other foot in the rink and my hands gripped to the side. "Now just push off and slide towards me, you'll be fine." His voice was soft and reassuring, making me suck in a breath to calm myself.

I let go of the barrier to try and move towards him, however the moment I did so my foot swept up from underneath me and I fell on my butt, yelping quickly before I froze, blinking. "Big sis, you went and fell down, why'd you do that?" Wataru asked as he came to a slow halt next to me, blinking as I lifting my head. Suddenly I laughed, making everyone else relax as I smiled broadly. That was just too funny.

"I don't know little bunny, guess I need to practice more." I reasoned as Tsubaki skated onto the ice then helped me back up. They tried their best to teach me but I was too scared to let go of the barrier, quite happily pulling myself along as everyone else glided past almost effortlessly. Ukyo and Masaomi had gone to sit with Hikaru who was casually taking pictures. He probably got quite a few of me falling over since I fell down quite a number of times. Once I even stood up only to fall back down again.

"Hey Rikki, you want me to just pull you along?" Yusuke called out as he skated over, making it look effortlessly simple as he grabbed my hands and pulled me away from the barrier. I yelped in alarm, feet flailing helplessly as he speedily pulled me forwards and I found myself spinning, terror freezing over my joints as Yusuke grinned. In his haste Yusuke accidentally slammed into Subaru and the two toppled over and I went sliding into the barrier, hitting it pretty down before I too dropped, however I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the two boys in such a tangled mess.

"Serves you right Suke!" I grinned before trying to get up, sliding all over the place until a hand caught mine and Kaname lifted me up.

"How about you glide with me instead, little sis? I'll be sure to not let you fall." His warm breath spread across my neck and I immediately tensed up, making it difficult for me to skate with him as he had one arm wrapped really tight around my waist whilst the other held my hand. I didn't like this, it felt way too uncomfortable and people kept on looking at us.

"K-Kaname, please let me go. I think I'd prefer to just use the barrier." I pleaded with him, trying to pull me away and it was only after persistent pushing did he finally let me go, giving a deep chuckle as I gripped onto the side to catch my breath.

"Alright, just call if you change your mind." He said before skating off. I caught my breath back, feeling my nerves slowly calm down until I felt a tug on my sleeve.

"Hey big sis, you can skate with me if you want." Wataru offered, large orbs shining. "I'm not very fast but I'll go even slower for you, you can even hold my hand if that'll make you feel braver." He offered and reached it out to me, smiling innocently and I immediately felt infinitely better.

"Thanks little bunny, you're the best." I said, ruffling his hair before taking his hand and together we moved at a snail's pace, one hand in his and the other sliding along the barrier to help me stay balanced. This worked for me as Wataru chatted away, telling me all about how excited he was for our first Christmas together and all the presents he'd asked Father Christmas for. I really enjoyed myself from then on, however when Wataru grew thirsty he skated off to Masaomi who'd brought stuff with him, leaving me to crawl along the barrier again. I tried pushing off a few times but every time I'd almost hit the floor and my arms would flail. Once or twice I almost did the splits and I felt like a baby deer trying to get used to its four legs.

"Need some help?" I jerked into an upright position, spinning around however in my quick movement I lost my balanced and toppled backwards, almost hitting the ice again but Natsume managed to catch my arm, steadying me. I exhaled with relief before I looked back up at him, heart instantly beginning to race.

"Um, I'm not very good at this." I admitted, looking past him to see Iori completing several tight spins on the spot whilst Subaru and Yusuke played tag with Tsubaki and Azusa, who for once had let himself loosen the reigns and was enjoying himself properly. "I'm not very coordinated when it comes to this sort of thing."

"Just relax, I helped teach most of the younger ones how to skate so you won't be any more difficult." He said before drawing up my shoulders, making me stand straight. "Just remember not to lean forwards or look at your feet, that's why you keep on losing your balance." He instructed before skating to stand in front of me. "Give me your hands." I glanced down before gradually placing mine in his, glad that I was wearing gloves so he wouldn't feel them start to sweat. "Now keep your feet straight and don't let them turn inwards, let me do the work for now." With that he started to skate backwards, still holding onto my hands and when I began to move, I gasped automatically.

"Wow!" My smile widened as I began to glide forwards and instantly I looked down to see my feet however Natsume quickly lifted my head again.

"Focus on me, if you look down then you'll probably end up pulling me on top of you." I know he didn't mean it like that but I couldn't help but react to such words, a lump rising to my throat as I awkwardly forced myself to look at Natsume. We did a single lap like that until I found myself finding my own balance, Natsume occasionally letting go for me to slide forwards before he took my hands again, helping me turn around the corners. "You ready to try on your own?"

"I think so, though I don't really get what pushing forwards means." I answered so Natsume came to my side and placed his feet with one slightly horizontal and the other jutting out from the flat side of his foot.

"Use your back leg to push and you'll move forwards. It takes some practice, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it." He said to me before he skated away a few feet. "Come on, I'll catch you if you start to fall." My hand gripped onto the barrier tightly, a little uncertain however when I heard Wataru cheering for me, I couldn't help but smile and give him a wave. Feeling a little braver I slowly released my hold on the barrier and pushed myself forwards like Natsume had said. Instantly I was moving forwards and I jumped, instinctively wanting to look down but I forced myself to keep my head up, hands wavering slightly until slowly I came to a stop in front of Natsume who steadied my shoulders, making sure I was balanced before letting go.

That was something I noticed about Natsume, he never made me feel uncomfortable in that sort of sense, it was almost as if he knew that being touched or held onto by older guys always made me anxious and didn't want me to feel that way. Perhaps he silently understood me a lot more than I understood him, so I made a resolution to get to know him better. "Thanks Natsume!" I suddenly beamed, ecstatic that I'd finally been able to skate a little on my own without falling over. He smiled down at me and his hand reached out to brush aside the hair that framed my face and tucked it behind my ear.

"You did great." He praised before inclining his head, offering his hand out to me and I almost felt my heart leap out of my chest as I took it, carefully skating next to him whilst practicing moving, though each time I wobbled he was there to steady me until I was laughing with the fullness of my soul, letting go of his hand and went skating forwards on my own.

"Yeah! Go big sis!" Wataru cheered as he jumped back onto the ice, Tsubaki, Iori and Yusuke all joining as well and Wataru gripped onto my hands, laughing with me as I pulled him along before we somehow ended up spinning a circle or two. I loved skating! It almost felt like surfing but instead of gliding on water, I was gliding on the ice. Once I'd got used to the sensation, I never lost my balance again, gaining in confidence as Yusuke and the others showed me tricks for me to try out, Wataru joined in until I pulled off one of Iori's impressive pirouettes, going a little slower than he did but all the same my hair flew around me as I turned, arms tucked in tight until I began to slow down, a little dizzy but I laughed all over again.

This had to be one of the best birthdays I could remember as everyone skated together for as long as we could, poking fun and skating competitively. Occasionally I would look around and see Natsume leaning against the barrier, talking with Ukyo or someone else however from time to time, I'd catch him watching me. He's probably just making sure that I was doing okay, but I couldn't help but glow a little bit. I didn't let it go to my head, keeping things slow and steady until I could increase the speed, though quite honestly I was happy to just skate in a loop with Wataru, who's infectious laughter almost had tears running down my face.


	24. Chapter 24

Looking up at the building I frowned slightly. Was this where Natsume worked? I hope I have the right place, Ukyo did write it down for me but all these places looked the same to me. He'd asked me to drop off some papers to Natsume in town and I happily agreed to go, though I didn't ask what the papers were about. It seemed an odd thing to send, however I assumed it was quicker to just have someone deliver them rather than post them. Taking a breath, I went inside and walked up to the receptionist. "Um, hello? I'm sorry but is Natsume Asahina here?" I asked the guy timidly who looked up from where he was working on his computer.

"You have an appointment?"

"N-No, I've just been asked to give this to him." Gesturing to the brown paper envelope thick with papers, the receptionist mused quietly before picking up the phone. He pressed a few numbers before waiting.

"Yeah, I've got a young lady here wanting to see Mr Asahina. Says she has a package to deliver. Okay, thanks." He waited a few more moments before he started to speak again. "Good afternoon sir, a young lady here wants to see you." He stopped and frowned at me, seemingly peering close into my eyes. "Yes sir." Another pause. "Understood sir, I'll send her up immediately." He put the phone down then smiled at me. "Elevator is just over there honey, top floor." He winked at me and I blushed, clumsily giving a bow and gave him my thanks before I scurried away.

There were numerous floors but I pushed the top button then leaned back against the elevator wall, feeling it rush upwards after the doors closed. The light flashed as it passed each floor, steadily climbing higher however about halfway up the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened with a ping. A broad shouldered man about Subaru's height entered, dark hair closely cropped with teal blue eyes that instantly fixated on me. His neatly trimmed beard twitched as he smiled, stepping inside. "Hello, my name is Ichiro Yamamato, are you lost young lady?" He asked me and I froze for a moment, staring at him.

He was a little older than me, perhaps in his thirties but he was still incredibly handsome. Which of course meant I could barely speak as I looked away hurriedly, my cheeks seemingly permanently the colour of tomatoes. In the end I just shook my head, keeping my face turned towards the ground. "I see, on a deliver then. Top floor? I'll be going there myself in a moment, just need to make a stop somewhere else first." He chatted to me quite happily as the elevator to rise. "So are you going to tell me your name? Or should I give you one, something that means 'little mouse'?" I gave a little giggle at that, a flicker of a smile appearing and Ichiro grinned. "There we are, what a cute laugh. You must be very popular with a laugh like that."

The doors pinged and slid open on the floor that Ichiro needed so he stepped out. "Bye little mouse, hopefully I'll see you upstairs." He said and I lifted my hand, giving a timid wave as the doors slid shut again and carried me the rest of the way. That didn't seem too bad, he was nice. Though now that he was gone, the elevator didn't feel so warm. Finally I reached the top floor and I stepped out, looking around to see a large room full of cubicles, people working away with entire boards full of graphics designs and a meeting room with the corner which spread across most of the entire top floor.

"Hey, are you looking for the boss?" A guy asked and I nervously nodded my head. "He's over in his office, just give a knock." He directed with a nod of his head, carrying several files in his arms. I looked across to see a door with Natsume's name on a shiny gold plaque so I head towards it after saying a timid thank you to the man. I knocked on the door and I heard Natsume's voice from inside.

"Enter." Shivering slightly at the commanding tone, I pushed open the door then stepped inside. Natsume lifted his head, looking at me before gesturing that I should come inside. "Thanks for bringing those all the way over, I'm sorry to make you come all this way." He said as I closed the door behind me.

"Don't be sorry, I figured it had to be worthwhile to come all this way because at least now I know where you work and what it looks like." I said, all nervousness falling away as I approached his desk where he was signing off papers. I didn't look at them, not wanting to be rude and nosy. Instead I just handed him over the brown envelope and Natsume took it from me, still focusing on his work and didn't notice me reaching into my bag again until I'd placed down a medium sized tub topped with a Christmas bow.

"What's this?" He questioned, frowning slightly as he put down his pen and picked it up, glancing at me before opening the lid.

"Christmas fudge, I make it every year and I felt bad that everyone else would be getting some, so I made some for you too." I informed him as I folded my arms under my chest contemplatively. "Although I asked Tsubaki if you actually liked fudge at all, he told me that your favourite was coconut but I couldn't quite tell if he was teasing me or not, so I made coffee flavoured instead. It's not strong, but I knew at least that you don't mind coffee." Since I remembered he'd drank a coffee when we ended up at the café.

"Good thing you didn't listen to him, I hate coconut." He said and I sighed with relief as he selected a piece then chewed it thoughtfully. "It's good. I don't particularly care for sweet things, so thanks for the thought kiddo." I almost rolled my eyes at him out of frustration. He could be such an idiot sometimes. Seeing that the conversation was over, I shifted my bag more securely onto my shoulder.

"Well if there's nothing else you need I'll be on my way. There's a few last minute things I need to pick up in town so if you think of anything that you want me to grab as well then let me know." Wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible however just as I'd turned to leave the door opened and that teal eyed man entered, beaming brightly.

"Hey Natsume, I've been sent to pester you about those…well hello there little mouse." When Ichiro forgot all about Natsume and turned to me I jumped blatantly, freezing in place as he smiled handsomely at me. "I thought I'd find you scurrying around up here, I didn't know you knew the boss as well, what a small world, am I right?" Dumbly I nodded my head, glancing at Natsume who was watching us with a cool gaze. "Still too shy to talk? You're just too adorable. Hey Natsume, can I keep her?" Natsume didn't answer, merely looked coldly at the two of us before returning to read over his documents.

I don't know why, but the way Natsume chose to remain silent, I felt my whole world crumble around me. To be honest I felt stupid for being so fanciful, I know that he doesn't think of me that way at all, but that's the entire reason why I liked him so much. He didn't make a show and dance of it like some of the others did, he knew where he stood and he knew how I felt about people and strangers and all those kind of things. I really did like him, a lot, and it hurt that he wasn't responding. He could have at least said _something_ , even if it were to say it was my choice, but by saying nothing it made it feel like he didn't care.

Turning around I brushed past Ichiro, choosing to say nothing more as I bolted from the room, hurriedly closing the door behind me before I took a deep breath, trying to keep my shaking at bay so that I could walk out of there with my head held high. Don't cry Rikona, it's not worth it. Just keep walking and get out of that building. Just keep walking, push it away and focus on what you need to do. You need to find a Christmas present for dad and Miwa and then you're all done. Focus on that and everything else will just go away for a while.

I studied the shops carefully, however as if the devil himself were determined that I wouldn't be allowed to forget about Natsume, he texted me with his address and a list of things he needed, asking me to bring them round later. Asshole, maybe I'll just ask Hikaru to drop them round for me, I'm not particularly in the mood to be nice to him at the moment. Shaking my head I set off to pick up what I needed, studying the shops carefully before I found what I wanted to get Miwa and dad for Christmas.

The crisp cold was refreshing and as people hurriedly rushed around for last minute gifts and things for their important day, I continued on my way almost in a world of my own. Thankfully everything I had needed was small, so it fit in my bag easily and I didn't have any excess bags to carry. Maybe I'll go get some tea or something, that always relaxes me. Making my way towards my favourite teashop I intended to go for a nice cup of camomile tea, however on my way I bumped into someone, making me jump back and bow my head in apology. "I'm very sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Looks like the little mouse _can_ talk after all." Ichiro?! My head shot up and I stared blankly at his handsome face, quick shocked to see him again so soon. Wasn't he just at Natsume's workplace? How had we run into one another? "It must be fate, you're a really remarkable young lady." He complimented so I looked away, unsmiling and for once, not blushing. "Listen, I know this is rather sudden, but would you like to go for a drink with me? You look like you could use a chat and I could use with some warming up, what do you say?" He was looking at me so kindly that I found my words stuck in my throat, unsure of how to respond.

"Well…I guess one drink won't hurt." I reasoned weakly and instantly Ichiro smiled.

"Excellent, shall we?" He offered me his hand but I didn't take it, moving forwards and he laughed. "Too soon? That's fine, just stay close to me little mouse, I wouldn't want to lose you in all these people." He said teasingly before placing a hand on my back, making my spine jolt painfully as he guided me forwards and past the teashop. Didn't he say go for a drink? Why wasn't he stopping at the teashop? Maybe he has his own café that he prefers, after all there are hundreds of them around and it was likely that he was used to one of those higher class cafés uptown, however when he guided me into a building, I could instantly smell alcohol. A bar? He meant _this_ kind of drinking? "What will you have, little mouse?"

"Um…I don't mind." I answered, letting him guide me towards the bar where I then sat up on the stood, tucking in my knees neatly with my purse on my lap. This was more than uncomfortable, I've never really been to a proper bar before, though I've had drink before obviously.

"Do you like wine?" Losing my voice a little I nodded, pushing my hair back behind my ear, the messy knot at the side of my head coming a little loose so I untied it, running my fingers through my hair a few times before I pulled it back into place, locks framing my face as I secured it into a knot at the base of my neck just behind my ear. "I'll have a whiskey." Ichiro informed the barman before asking for a specific wine for me. I knew the type and I didn't mind it, though I didn't drink wine often. "So little mouse, will you tell me your name?"

"Rikona Hinata." I responded, lifting my eyes to glance his way. "I'm not anybody really, I just know Natsume because I'm related to the family."

"Oh! I see, well lucky for him. If even one of my cousins were as cute as you, I'd be adopting you as my sister without a second thought." I continued to look at him for a moment before a small flicker of a smile appeared. He had a very bright voice and he seemed to be trying his best to cheer me up, so I let him lift my mood a little. The alcohol came and I sipped mine, tasting it carefully before swallowing.

"Thank you for the drink, I appreciate the gesture." I said to him, lifting my glass and he toasted it before I could draw it back.

"Here's to new friends. I hope you and I get to see each other more often from now on, little mouse." He said to me and I dipped my head to him, not really wanting to outright refuse him. He drank sensibly, nursing his drink as I did the same to mine, however when I finished that drink he insisted on another, saying that he was enjoying my company and it was nice to just sit back for a while, so he ordered new drinks. This time he got me a martini, something I hadn't tried before. This wasn't too bad, I actually didn't mind it too much and Ichiro soon had us on thirds and then before I knew it I had drank a fourth beverage. Hmm, he had drank less than me and I couldn't help but shake the feeling he was watching me closely. "Are you light headed at all, little mouse?"

"A little. I think I should head home." I said to him, though in truth I had a very high tolerance for alcohol. In fact we had discovered that I could outdrink most of the boys, something that had impressed them the first time shots were shared out and I didn't bat and eyelid. When I'd come of age and could legally drink, I had treated myself every now and then when I just fancied something fun to do, and I think the careful nursing helped build my tolerance up to a reasonable standard.

"Alright, I'll take you home, I just need to make one stop before hand and see a friend of mine. He's not doing so well and I want to make sure he's alright." That was very considerate of him, he must have quite a few friends if he's that kind of person who would look out for them. "You don't mind, little mouse? Maybe you can help cheer him up a bit, he always likes meeting pretty girls like you."

"I don't mind." I answered, my voice still small and I couldn't look at him for very long, but he just smiled, placing his hand on my back and leading me forwards. We ended up in a taxi and I watched out the window, noticing that as the sky grew darker and I could see more of a reflection, Ichiro was staring at me. I blushed, glancing back at him then quickly looked away, shifting uncomfortably. He smiled. The taxi stopped outside a hotel and I looked it up and down. It looked rather grand and I then instantly looked down at myself. I was wearing just plain jeans, jumper and my sneakers with my winter coat. I really didn't fit in at a place like this. "Your friend lives here?"

"When he's in Japan, yes. He likes to travel a bit but he gets depressed from time to time, so I try to make things a little happier for him. Come on, I promise it won't take long." He said and his time, he seized me by the hand and laced our fingers together. "You have really cute hands little mouse, and they're really soft." I blushed again, looking away awkwardly. He sounded a little drunk however he was either hiding it really well or the alcohol had just loosened his tongue a little.

We got into an elevator with a few other people and his hand went to my shoulder, pulling me in close where he smiled down at me again. Trying not to seem rude, I smiled back at him, though this closeness was the last thing I wanted. I should really be getting home, but I couldn't just take off when he'd been so nice to me, I'd feel really guilty. "You'll like my friend, he's quite shy a lot like you but he's got lots of things to talk about. He's been almost everywhere in the world you know. His room overlooks the swimming pool, but it also has a really nice view of the city which I'd like to show you. It's rather breath taking at night." Ichiro said to me softly, turning his lips towards my ear and I twitched, tilting my head away from him automatically however before he could respond, the doors pinged. "This is us." He said, sliding out of the lift and pulling me along with him. His steps were more urgent, pulling me along the full length of my arm. He must be really worried about his friend.

When we reached the right door Ichiro pulled out a card key from inside his jacket and swiped it before returning it to his pocket. He slipped an arm around me, giving a broad smile. "Here we are! Make yourself at home." He said then opened the door as I looked at him. His strong hand pushed me inside and I went blindly, not paying attention until I looked in front of me. Instantly I stared in horror, seeing nothing but men and women in various states of dress in…numerous different positions. What is this place?! Is this a sex gathering?! Oh god, I really don't want to be here, let me leave. I want to go home!

Everywhere people were panting and moaning, erotically touching each other which made my cheeks burn as I pressed my eyes shut and began to shake in shocked embarrassment. "I want to leave." I announced in a tight whisper however I heard the door click softly behind me, locking me inside.

"What's the matter little mouse? Don't be shy, everyone here is really familiar with one another so there's no need to be embarrassed." He said, an arm curling around me from behind before suddenly clamping down on my breast, making me squeak and scramble to get away, pushing him off me before lunging for the door. I tried forcing it open, rattling at the handle and tried to unlock it but it was secured shut, it didn't even budge when I kicked it desperately.

Without warning a hand slammed against the door, keeping it firmly in place and I shrieked, spinning around to stare in fear at Ichiro as he leaned in close to me. "Don't try and scurry away little mouse, I've seen you blushing all day. You want me to touch you, don't you? Look, you're already trembling with need." He whispered, his other hand rising to my face where he began to massage at my cheek. How dare he touch me? These hands…I do not want them to touch me! They're not kind and gentle, I don't want them anywhere near me.

Suddenly a deep rage began to tower within me, escalating quickly as slowly I exhaled, calming my trembling before all at once I opened my eyes and knocked his hand away, my deep violet eyes shimmering threateningly as Ichiro recoiled slightly, taken aback. "I did not give you permission to touch me." I announced, my voice firm and speaking louder than he had heard me speak all day. For a moment Ichiro was stunned, shocked by my sudden transformation before he smirked, leaning forwards again.

"Oh? I didn't think you'd be into that kind of thing, little mouse. If you want, I'll even let you tie me up." His hand reached out however before I knew it I had latched onto his jaw and squeezed tightly, making him squeak as his eyes widened, staring at me as I made his lips pucker from me holding so tight.

"I do not want you ever to touch me. This sort of thing is something I have been saving for the person that I like, and the person I like is _not_ you!" Still gripping onto him, my eyes narrowed further, people beginning to look up and watch as Ichiro stared motionlessly before me. "People like you repulse me. My body is mine to choose who I give it to, you have no right whatsoever to make that decision for me. So do me a favour, unlock the door and let me leave. I want nothing to do with this sick kind of gathering."

For the most part the others in the room ignored Ichiro and I, reaching their own climaxes before changing partners at their leisure, however Ichiro had his eyes fixed on me, almost as if he were unable to look away. Slowly I lowered my hand, fists tightly gripped at my side as he drew back slightly, massaging his jaw. Suddenly his face clouded, gritting his teeth. "You ungrateful bitch! I thought you'd at least be a little too drunk to hold me back, but it seems I was unlucky today. You're not going anywhere, I'm going to make you forget all about the person you like and make you scream my name instead!" He declared and his hand shot out for me but my hand had already reached into my bag and picked up the pepper spray. The only thing was, it wasn't there.

For a moment my eyes widened in alarm, remembering that I had taken it out when cleaning my bag and forgot to put it back in. I knew exactly where it was, sitting at home on my desk. Damn it! Seeing the hand flashing straight for me I squeaked, ducking quickly then shooting forwards, trying to think of another way to escape. Ahead of me I saw the balcony with the doors wide open. That's it, Ichiro said that there was a pool underneath the balcony, I'll just have to jump. From the floor we're on, I can pretty much guess that even if it's a small pool, I won't die. I might get hurt, but at least then the hotel staff will be able to help me and not this freaky creep.

All I knew was that if I stayed here, I wasn't going to leave it with my dignity. I'd rather jump off that balcony then let them destroy my pride, it was just like Miwa said. I don't want anyone here to see my body, that's for me to decide who I show it to and these lowlifes aren't worthy! With Ichiro yelling for me to get back, I bolted for the balcony. People started to cry out in alarm, some catching on sooner than others what I intended. Someone else tried to grab me, probably in a bid to help but I leaped over them without even stopping, zipping up my bag to keep the water from getting inside then all at once, I gripped onto the balcony edge and looked down as I hoisted myself up. "Are you crazy?!" Ichiro's resounding yell thundered in my ears as I looked down only for a brief second.

It was large and deep, strictly speaking I'll be able to reach it no problem. Now for the leap of faith. As if I had never even stopped I pushed myself off from the balcony, feeling fingers brush against my hair as I flew forwards before beginning to descend, my arms spread wide almost like wings as I took a deep breath then tucked my arms in tight, feeling my heart race at the terrifying sensation of falling without a parachute. We were still several floors up and my heart seemed to roar in my ears as the water rushed to meet me and I pressed my eyes shut at the last second.

Somehow I managed to hit the deep end of the water, sinking down into the freezing depths and I almost gasped but I managed to stop myself in time, suspended for a few heartbeats before I swam upwards, kicking with my feet. The moment my head broke through to open air I gasped, the biting cold clawing at my lungs. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, looking around to see my bag floating near to me so I grabbed it and bolted for the edge.

Scrambling up I gasped for air, sopping wet and water spilled everywhere. I had to get out of here, I have to leave before they come back for me. Glancing back I could see a cluster of people staring down so I immediately rushed to my feet, staggering for a few strides before I managed to find my balance. I'd lost a shoe but I didn't go back for it, fleeing from the scene without even stopping. I pushed through people to escape through the lobby, people gasping in shock as I bowed my head slightly, trying not to be identified though some of the staff were just staring in horror, unsure of how to respond.

The moment I was out the doors I jumped into a taxi, gasping for breath. "Uh…where…to…miss?" Without thinking I rattled off Natsume's address, my panic attack making it difficult to breath. "Are you sure? Maybe I should call someone for you…"

"Please, just go! Hurry!" I pleaded so the taxi driver hurriedly stepped on the gas just as Ichiro came running out of the hotel, yelling my name. Not asking anymore questions the driver just kept going, glancing to me occasionally as I slid down in the seat, not wanting to be seen as slowly, tears began to slide down my face. I shook them off, forcing myself to bottle it up though I struggled, shivering from the cold. When I realised that I probably didn't have enough money, I stopped the driver a few blocks away. "Here's fine. I'm sorry I startled you. I'll be going home now." I said to him, thanking heaven that the inside of my back was bone dry and my money wasn't ruined. I handed over everything I had left, just about managing to make the fare.

"You sure you'll be okay? You like hell."

"I'm fine, I just fell in a pool." I answered him before opening the door and stepping out. With that I ran away, racing through the streets were people blinked at me in surprise, staring at my one shoed apparel. It was freezing and I could almost feel the water turning to ice all over me even as I ran, not stopping until I had found Natsume's apartment. Thank goodness I knew the area and had known more or less where it was, otherwise I would have been dreadfully lost. I couldn't go home like this, everyone would just panic and demand to know what happened. Hopefully Natsume would be able to keep his cool before getting angry. I pressed the button for his flat, waiting until his voice sounded.

"Who is it?" I almost cried.

"Natsume it's me! Please, let me in." I begged, panting heavily from running almost all the way here. There was no answer however the door buzzed open and instantly I was flying inside, clearing the stairs two at a time before I was at his door and hammering it down. Now the tears were coming, I really couldn't hold it in anymore and I desperately wanted to see him. His door opened and I looked up at him, soaking wet, freezing cold and very obviously crying. His face broke into alarm as I gave a strangled cry and flew at him, wrapping my arms around his middle and he stared at me, still holding the door.

"Rikona? Rikona what happened? Why're you all soaking wet?" He questioned, shocked to the core as I sobbed against him. "Hey, it's alright. Come on you're freezing cold. Oh god, you didn't run all the way here like that did you?" Sobbingly I nodded my head. Natsume cursed under his breath, closing the door awkwardly as I refused to let go until he pulled my arms from around him. I was about to draw back and apologise when suddenly he lifted me up without giving me warning, my bag dropping to the floor as he effortlessly picked me up off the floor and carried me away. "You're going to tell me everything that happened but first you need to get warm. You can use my bathroom, I'll find you some dry clothes and there are towels already in there. Just please try and calm down, Rikona, you're killing me here."

Slowly I tried to suck it up, wiping away my tears though you could hardly distinguish them from the droplets of water. "N-Natsu now y-you're all w-w-wet…I'm s-s-so s-sorry…" My teeth clattered together however Natsume didn't care, carrying me to the bathroom then gentle set me on my feet, making sure I was stable before he placed his hand on my head and pulled me towards him, holding me gently in his arms and I fisted my hands into his shirt.

"You're safe now, there's no reason to be scared anymore." He told me softly, murmuring into my hair before he let me go. "I'll find you those clothes." I sniffed, nodding my head as I hugged myself, already missing his warmth. His eyes were kind and gentle, tenderly glancing over me to look for any sign of an injury as I pulled off my shoe and my coat, starting to get undressed before I wrapped a towel around me. He returned to the door, knocking to let me know he was there so I opened it up and he kept his head turned away politely, holding out a bundle of clothes for me. "These won't fit you but they'll do for now. Take all the time you need and just call if you need anything."

"Thanks." I managed, taking them from him before I closed the door behind him. I had a long shower, gradually feeling myself warming up and I allowed myself to relax. My stomach was still doing backflips and the sensation of freefalling wouldn't go away, but I knew that I wasn't in any kind of danger anymore. Once I was warmer I dried off then slipped on the shirt and bed shorts that Natsume had found for me, pulling the strings tight so that they wouldn't slip. After that I sat and dried my hair, rubbing it with the towel until it lay in a crinkled mess around my head. I guess this will have to do.

For a moment I just sat there, staring at my feet. That guy, Ichiro, he had seemed like such a nice guy but then he turned out like that. How could I have been so foolish? The numerous drinks should have been my first warning sign. It's a good thing I have a high tolerance otherwise I'd be in a completely different situation at this moment. Shaking my head I rose to my feet, feeling strangely numb as I left the bathroom and slowly moved through Natsume's flat. He was in the kitchen making a drink but when he saw me approaching he handed it to me. Camomile. "Here, this'll help."

"Thank you Natsume." I murmured to him, holding it in my hands and took a sip. Perfect, I could already feel it warming me up. "I'm sorry for barging in on you like this, I'll leave once my clothes are dry."

"With just the one shoe?" He queried, arching an eyebrow and looking down on me with a harsh gaze, arms folded and waiting. He's been patient, now he wants to know what happened. I guess either way he'll work it out of me, so there's no use in lying or trying to hide it. It'll just be pointless in the end. Glancing around I looked for a seat and Natsume inclined his head, gesturing for me to follow him. "It's not much but you can sit down in here."

"Thanks." I said again, following him to his room where he had a sofa bed and a desk with his large computer screens set up with a gaming system. I should have guessed he'd be a gamer himself, seeing as he was the CEO of a big gaming company. Natsume sat himself down by the doors and pushed it open just as I felt something furry brush against my leg. "Oh, you have cats?" I never knew. Two fluffy felines were rubbing themselves against my legs, meowing for attention so I knelt down and began to tickle their heads and ears.

"I wouldn't if I were you, they don't particularly like strangers." Natsume warned as he lit up a cigarette. This caught me by surprise. I didn't know he smoked either, he always smelled so clean. I've been in his house five minutes and already I was learning new things about him.

"You shouldn't smoke you know, you'll kill your lungs that way." I said to him without thinking before looking away, glancing at the cats who were happily purring as I stroked their backs. They didn't seem too bad, maybe they were just very picky with what kind of humans they liked. One lost interest and jumped up to nest on the tall climbing frame whilst the other began to climb into my lap, still purring before it curled up and made itself comfortable.

"I don't smoke a lot, it's more of an occasional habit than anything." He answered, looking back and noticing that one of his cats had made himself home in my lap. "Well would you look at that. Anyone else I bring home they'll claw up in seconds." He noted and I smiled lightly, gently brushing my fingers over the soft fur. "So, you going to tell me what happened? It's got to be a good story." He said as he finished his cigarette and stubbed it out, blowing the smoke out into the open before closing the door.

Instantly I felt depressed, unable to lift my gaze and I found myself cuddling up to the cat a little more, comforted by the warm and soft fur. It meowed in protest but then licked my cheek with its barbed tongue, readjusting to make itself comfortable once more. "That guy in your office, Ichiro. He invited me out for a drink and I couldn't think of a way to turn him down without feeling like a jerk, so I agreed." I began slowly, still not looking at Natsume as I spoke. "I ended up drinking a few more than intended, he was so nice and charming that I found myself enjoying his company, but when he said he would take me home, he said that he needed to make a stop to see a friend who was depressed. I didn't think anything of it, so I let him take me with him to meet him. We ended up at some hotel, but when he opened the door I…it…it was a sex party."

"What?!" The sudden rage in his voice made both cats hiss and the one in my lap as I jerked backwards, alarmed by his sudden shout before gritting his teeth and clenched his fist. "I'll skin him alive, that bastard."

"It's okay, really Natsume, nothing actually happened. He just got a little pissy when I refused to comply and wouldn't let me out of the room. I couldn't open the door because he'd locked it so I…kind of…jumped out the window." Natsume's eyes widened in alarm, staring at me as if I'd just slapped him in the face. "He'd mentioned that there was a pool underneath and I checked before jumping, so it was fine. That's why I was soaking wet and I lost my shoe in the water. I panicked and I didn't know what to do so I just ran. I tried to get a taxi but I didn't have the money to get here so I came by foot. I'm really sorry Natsume! I just…I just couldn't go back home, the others would have all crowded around me and demanded to know what happened and I really didn't know what else to do so I came here instead." I'd bowed my head down, pressing my head to the floor in apology as I felt hot tears begin to fall again, my shoulders shaking.

Natsume got up and walked over, clearing the room in two strides before hoisting me up into his arms before I could even uncurl from within myself. He sat down on the floor again and turned my head back into his neck, his arms enclosing around me with a strong security as he started to rock me like a child. For once, I didn't mind. "Jesus Rikona, for a girl who cries at the drop of a hat you sure are brave." He said to me, his voice fighting to stay calm. "You jumped from a hotel window into a pool? Damn, you've got serious guts."

"It…it wasn't that high." I tried to say, wiping my face as I took deep breaths. Natsume reached out and picked up my tea, handing it to me and I took another few sips as I remained curled up in his lap, his warmth seeping into me effortlessly as his firm muscles tightened in anger which he was barely containing. "I'll go soon I promise, I didn't mean to drag you into this or make you worry."

"Its fine, you can stay here as long as you like. If you don't want to then you don't have to go home. I can let the guys know that you're crashing here and they won't worry. I won't tell them anything." I lifted my head, looking at him with shining orbs.

"You wouldn't mind?" He shook his head, reaching up and gently rearranging my hair. His touch was so comforting and it was the only one that I never shied away from. If anything I wanted him to touch me, after all he is the one that I like and I meant what I said back in the hotel. If ever I was going to share my first time with someone, it would be Natsume. "So um, what are your cats called?"

"Tsubaki and Azusa. Long story short, they named the cats after themselves and it just sort of stuck." He explained and I giggled.

"That does sound like them." I agreed before looking down, realising that I was still in his lap. "Sorry! Your legs must be going dead, I'll move." Shuffling back away from him I tucked my knees into my stomach, drinking my tea quietly as I sat in contemplation. Surprisingly I didn't feel so shaken up as I was, I must be getting better at calming down, though Natsume probably has something to do with it. I always felt calmer when he was around. I'm going to have to try and think of an excuse for being here though as no doubt people will ask. "Oh! I got those things that you wanted from town by the way. They're in my bag."

Standing up I went and got it from where I'd dropped it in the hallway, picking it up and began to rummage around. Thankfully nothing was broken or ruined, the bag itself already dry so I set it down in front of me then drew out the things Natsume had asked me to pick up for him, pushing them across the floor towards him. "Thanks, I'll got get the money for them tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it, it wasn't any trouble." I assured him, my hand going to push back my hair so that it was tucked back behind my ear. It was drying fairly straight and it felt soft and refreshed from my shower.

"Are you sure?" I nodded so Natsume sighed. "Well, do you want food or anything? There isn't much in the house but I can find you something if you want it." He offered but I shook my head, happy enough with my tea though I'd nearly finished it. For a while we sat in silence, the cats occasionally moving and I blushed. What was I supposed to do now? I couldn't think of a single thing to talk about, considering what I'd just told Natsume there wasn't really much else I could say to change the topic without the mood killing it. "Hey, about that fudge." My head lifted, seeing Natsume leaning against his arm which was propped against his bed. "It was really good. Thanks." Suddenly I brightened, glad that I had made a good call.

"You're welcome." One of the cats came over to me then, meowing and nudging at my hand so I stroked the mottled fur, feeling comforted by hearing it purr.

"You can sit down on the bed if you like, the floor isn't the only option you know." Natsume said to me as he stood up. "I'm going to take a shower, make yourself comfy and don't worry about anything. I'll contact Ichiro and deal with him myself."

"Don't bother." I said, my voice going quiet again as I bowed my head, my hand going still on the cat's back. "He's not even worth it and it's not like he can be arrested for anything. Sure there were witnesses who saw him try to trap me, but I don't know who they were and I wouldn't be able to describe any of them. Besides he's rich, right? He's probably untouchable and it's not like anyone else there was doing anything illegal. There's no point you risking your position for my stupid mistakes. So don't get involved, Natsume." Turning my eyes up at him, they were hard and narrow. "Don't get involved at all."

"Rikona…" He was taken aback slightly but exhaled, rubbing his face. "Still, at least let me warn him to stay away from you. I should have realised what he was up to the moment I saw you two together. I'm sorry, I should have said something, should have warned you, but I didn't." He looked guilty so I reached out and touched his hand, gently curling my fingers around his angry fist to quieten his rage.

"Natsume, don't go blaming yourself again. It really wasn't your fault, so there's no reason for you to take on the guilt like this. I'm safe and that's all that matters, right? He didn't even touch me really, you should have seen his face when I slapped his hand away." Slowly Natsume began to relax, nodding his head to me before turning a quiet smile downwards.

"You did good, kiddo." When he turned away my face dropped, once again struck by how he continued to refer to me as a kid. One day I'm going to kick him in the shins if he keeps on doing that. Maybe I should just tell him that I don't like being called that. Anyway, I think I'll get off the floor and have a lie down, all that running sure made me tired. However almost the second I had curled up the cats leaped for me, one of them curling up into my waist and I lowered my hand to stroke its fur as the other one meowed at me, licking my nose and making me smile before it lay down next to me with its head butting against my cheek. They were too cute, maybe Natsume just didn't bring home very good company.

Soon enough I found my eyesight fading, warmed by the fluffy presences of the two cats who were purring into me, as if knowing that I needed all the comfort I could get right then and their nurturing purrs soon sent me to sleep, however when Natsume walked in fresh from his shower he just stared, probably not expecting me to have fallen asleep so quickly, much less to have the cats curled up next to me. At some point I think he got me a blanket as when I woke up some time in the night with one cat curled around my head and the other on my chest, the blanket was covering my legs.

What made me blush, however, was the fact that my hand was sprawled out over the side and I could feel Natsume tracing patterns into my palm. Was he still awake at this hour? I feel bad, I've taken his bed and he's been exiled to the floor. All the same I couldn't help but enjoy feeling the delicate touch of his skin against mine as he shaped numerous things, just like the old game kids used to play in the playground, drawing letters on one another's hands and they had to guess which one it was. Smiling I quickly fell back asleep again, still exhausted but thankfully, much more peaceful.


	25. Chapter 25

The morning although cold was rather blissful. I awoke in the company of two purring cats who were pawing at me with meows for attention and I could think of no better way I would rather wake up. They were so cute. I tickled their ears and they nuzzled into me. Maybe it was something to do with my usual soap that they like? Though to my understanding, it doesn't have any scents of fish in it. "Morning." I whispered to them both, assuming Natsume was still sleeping. "Did you sleep well?" They meowed back at me so I smiled, giving a sigh before I slowly sat up and looked down to the floor.

It was completely vacant and I blinked, glancing around before calling out. "Natsume?" There was no answer so I untangled myself from the blankets with the cats following after me, bumping against my legs as I looked around. When I got to the kitchen I found a note stuck to the fridge and I looked at it, seeing it was from Natsume. It said that he'd gone for a run and not to worry if I wake up and he's not there and he'd be back soon. Glancing around his kitchen I started in search of food, however when he had said he didn't have much, he really meant it. There were two eggs, some limp celery and some cheese that could do with being throwing out in the fridge, the cupboards mostly sported quick make noodles and nothing much more.

"Your owner isn't very good with keeping his food stock up to scratch, is he?" I questioned his two cats who meowed at me. I picked one up and it looked at me blankly, as if surprised that I had actually lifted it off the ground however when I tickled its chin it purred. My clothes had been tossed into the drier for me, even my underwear and I blushed slightly. He didn't have to do that. That's so embarrassing. All the same since he was out of the house I went into the bathroom and started to get change, closing the door behind me. I noticed it didn't have a lock, Natsume probably thought it unnecessary since he lived alone.

Just as I'd pulled on my jeans and was reaching for my shirt, I heard the door go and footsteps approached. Before I realised it, the door was opening and I gave a shriek. "Natsume!" Instantly Natsume stared, catching me in my bra and I turned lobster red, hurriedly lifting my shirt to cover myself. "Close the door!"

"Sorry!" Quickly he snapped it up and I shivered, listening for a moment before I heard him walk away. Oh god, that's just what I need. Not only did he see my underwear, he saw me wearing it. Today is just going to be one of those days, I guess. Fighting back the blush I finished getting dressed. Exiting the bathroom I found Natsume in the kitchen feeding the cats, however when he saw me standing there, he stood up with an apologetic expression. "I apologise about that, I thought you'd still be asleep and didn't really think."

"No that, that's fine. Just please don't tell anyone." He promised he wouldn't tell a soul so I exhaled, lifting my head to look at him. He was wearing running clothes and he looked like he'd only just caught his breath back. Of course, the note had said he'd gone for a run. "How was your run?"

"It was good, keeps me in shape." He said as he began to move towards me, touching my shoulder as he passed. "I'm going to take a shower, I know there's not much to eat but…"

"Do you have time to go to breakfast before work?" I suddenly asked, feeling a spark of confidence though Natsume looked at me quickly. "I'd like to thank you properly for all this, besides I'm hungry too and being brutally honest, Natsu, super noodles aren't a proper breakfast." After a moment or two he chuckled, rubbing his hair as he did so.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I don't have to be in the office for a while yet, but you don't have to pay me back for letting you stay one night you know." I just smiled at him, giving a shrug of my shoulders. I guess it's going to be a battle over who gets to pay the bill, but we'll get to that when it comes to it. Natsume showered and changed whilst I tried to brush through my hair with my fingers into some sort of orderly fashion, however as I went to tie it up Natsume's voice stopped me. "You should leave it down, it looks good that way."

"Usually I tie it back because it gets annoying when it's windy." I answered him truthfully before looking out the window. It didn't look too bad today, maybe I will leave it down. Grabbing my bag I said goodbye to the cats, stroking them affectionately before I followed Natsume down to his car. He glanced across to make sure I was strapped in before pulling away. "Is there any place in particular that you like?" I asked, hoping to learn a little more about him in the process.

"Well I don't really eat out much so it's your choice. I was just going to park near the office in town and let you choose." He said to me. "Is there a place you had in mind?"

"Not really, though I do know of this pancake place that Wataru likes, whatever you can think of it comes in a pancake. I'd quite like that." I admitted, thinking about a pancake with strawberries and cream, or syrup and bacon, or practically anything else I could think of. "It's in town so it shouldn't be too far to walk depending on how far we walk. How much time do you have? If you need to be in the office sooner then we can always just go to a café or something." I suggested to him, however when Natsume looked at his watch he only glanced at it briefly.

"I've got time." Was all he said before continuing to drive. He parked near his offices and I gave him brief directions on how to get there, however despite it being early morning it was fairly busy. Once or twice I got a little separated from Natsume however I quickly managed to catch up, however when he noticed that I was struggling he stopped and held out his hand. "Here, don't want to lose you, do I?" I looked at his hand and suddenly felt a little nervous. We'd look like a couple if we walked like that, and I don't think I'd be able to handle it if I had to hold his hand for long. Although I liked it when he was close, he still had a very visible effect on me.

"Um…how about this?" Stepping closer I slipped my arm through his and gripped onto his sleeve lightly, looking up at him. "Is this okay?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with." He assured me warmly before moving forwards. His body seemingly cut through the rivers of people like a salmon swimming upstream and with me now holding onto his arm I found it almost impossible to be separated from him. We got to the pancake place and went inside, looking at the orders. Natsume ordered something savoury whilst I went for something sweet, licking my lips, however as Natsume reached for his wallet I already had my card in hand.

"Here you go, thank you very much for your time." I said to the young girl who beamed at me, allowing me to pay for both meals with my card. Though mostly I use cash, I was glad I had this handy. I'll get money out later if I need it, however at least I'd kept my word and treated Natsume to breakfast.

"You know eventually you're going to have to let me pay for something." He said to me however I just gave him a one sided grin, slightly challenging as I looked up at him.

"Says who? Come on Natsu, let me treat my big brother to breakfast." Our pancakes were brought to us when they were done and I could already feel my mouth watering. "I'm guessing you really aren't a fan of sweet things." Noticing the preference for savoury, Natsume nodded his head. "You're like my dad then, he's not a huge fan of sweet things like I am. He says I get that from my mother." I hadn't realised what I'd said until it was out of my mouth. In some ways it was both true. Both Miwa and my birth mother do like sweet things. It made me chuckle inwardly.

"What's your mother like?" Natsume questioned, trying to engage in conversation but I could only shrug.

"I'm not really sure, she died when I was very young. My dad told me a few things about her but I didn't like to ask too often, I could tell that it hurt to talk about her." Slicing into my pancake I ate a little whilst thinking to myself. I hadn't really thought about it much, but I really didn't know anything at all. I knew what she looked like and I didn't look anything like her, I looked like my grandmother on my dad's side more than anybody else, though apparently I'm far more docile than she was. Natsume looked at me for a moment and I realised that he felt bad for bringing it up so I smiled at him. "It's alright, I don't get sad about it anymore. I'm sure if my birth mom were here, she'd be telling me to go figure out what to do with my life and things like that."

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't know." I nodded my head in understanding, eating a little more of my pancake and almost squealed. It really was good, I'll definitely suggest bringing Wataru back here, maybe Yusuke would like to come too, he loves sweet things even more than I do. Before I knew it we'd both finished with very little conversation and I couldn't help but feel like Natsume was holding something close to him. His jaw was clenched tightly and his movements weren't as calm as they usually were, in fact I think he was barely holding himself together.

"Hey Natsume?" I said to him, stopping in the street and he turned around to look at me. Slowly I stepped forwards before I placed my head against his chest, resting my arms around him. "It's okay if you need to be angry, just don't be angry at yourself anymore. It makes me sad to think that I'm leaving you in this kind of state, so try to relax a little." I said to him before pulling back, stepping away from him so that he could see my face clearly as I was stern faced and serious. "If you want to be mad at someone, then by all means be mad at me because I won't mind. Stop keeping your emotions all to yourself, it's selfish. You should let people know how you feel more often so that people know how to respond to you instead of just letting you push them away." His face slackened slightly, staring at me with a cool contemplation as I turned my head away, fighting against the butterflies in my stomach as I made to walk past him.

The breeze lifted a little, pulling back at my hair so I tugged the collar of my coat closer around my neck to keep warm however I felt Natsume's hands touch my shoulders, gently asking me to stop before he then turned me around and I found myself in his safe embrace once more, hands tucked into my neck and my eyes slid shut of their own accord. "I don't know how you do it, but you sure have a way with words." He said to me softly, his hand beginning to run over the top of my head soothingly. "I'm glad you came running to me for help, you know. It makes me feel good to know that you trust me on that sort of level. However next time you get into that kind of situation, please just call the police or someone. Don't go jumping out of anymore windows." I couldn't help it, I laughed a little.

"Okay, it's a deal." I agreed as I pulled back, nodding my head as Natsume patted my head.

"Take care kiddo, I'll see you at Christmas." Ugh, kiddo. However before I could turn around and tell him not to call me that, he'd already disappeared into the crowds. It took me a moment, but I realised that he'd left me at the end of the main road where I was only a few minutes away from the condo. He'd walked me practically out of town, now he had to walk all the way back, surely that meant he'd be late for work? Though at the thought, I smiled at his caring nature. He's a good person, he really was, and I loved him all the more for it.


	26. Chapter 26

Christmas day was wonderful and I loved seeing my dad and Miwa again, sitting between them both with Wataru on my lap as we opened presents together. It was a really great Christmas, the best yet and thankfully, I'd managed to find Natsume a gift in time. In the end I found a little snow globe with figures skating inside. It wasn't much but I thought it was a nice ornament he could add to his rather plainly decorated apartment, though he'd have to keep it out of the way of the cats, though I'd also taken the extra precaution of buying on that was shatter resistant, just to be on the safe side.

Dad and Miwa stayed for a couple of days, visiting a few parties and some of us even came along and Miwa insisted on showing me off every time I agreed to go, wearing one of the dresses she picked out for me and she was always so happy when I made that extra effort just for her. It really was the best Christmas ever and I was sad when it ended, though I felt even worse when dad and Miwa had to leave. They both hugged me so tight and I didn't want to let go, but I put on a brave face and waved them goodbye with a smile.

After that, things pretty much went back to normal. Subaru finally told me that he got an offer to play professionally and I was so excited for him that I'd thrown my arms around his neck to embrace him, catching him off guard though his hands went to my waist to steady me as I did so. I really was happy for him, even though it meant he'd be leaving come spring. It seems everything was going to be changing from now onwards.

Futo and Yusuke were both studying for their exams with me helping them along, the three of us sitting together at the dinner table with numerous books spread out as I taught them both what they needed to know for their relative subjects. "So wait, you're saying that there's actually an easier way to work all this out?" Yusuke asked and when I nodded, he groaned and gripped his head. "Agh! Why can't you just teach my class? It makes so much more sense when you're showing me how to do stuff."

"Because you're an idiot." Futo answered simply, flicking Yusuke with an eraser. "And our beloved big sister has to dumb it down for you."

"Easy now, both of you." I said, clapping my hands to calm down the tension. We'd been studying for almost two hours so I decided to call a break. "I made snacks for you guys, they're on the counter in the kitchen. When we come back we'll go your science papers and I'll help you guys with the content you need to learn." I instructed them and Yusuke was already bolting for the food, making me giggle. That boy sure could eat. Futo exhaled, leaning back in his seat and rubbing his face.

"This is pointless. Why do I need to know all this stuff anyway? I won't need science for what I need to do in the future." He complained so I thought of a reason to keep him motivated.

"Because Fu-Fu, even though you may have a great voice, when you're singing about certain things you need to be able to understand them to be able to put the emotion in, right?" I reasoned with him and he cracked open an eye to look at me. "So when you're singing, I think it's better to have a good understanding about the meaning behind the songs. It's like poetry, there are many meanings behind the words, but if you know what it is you're trying to convey to people then it's easier to make them understand if you know yourself what you're talking about. The same goes for acting. At some point you're probably going to be playing roles that aren't naturally similar to your own personality, but if you can relate to them somehow, either through their profession or by a trait that you share or can at least empathise with, then it'll be easier for you to play that character." I looked back at Futo, seeing his contemplative gaze before he lifted his chin.

"Don't call me Fu-Fu. It's annoying." I chuckled, knowing full well that it embarrassed him but I only called him that in private. I wouldn't do that to him when he's out with his fans or anything. "Anyway, you're pretty good at this teaching thing. If you can teach that moron over there how to do actually equations and long division then you have to have decent skills."

"Hey I heard that! I'm not that stupid you know!" Yusuke argued with a mouth full of food and I laughed.

"You boys, there's no stopping you guys is there?" I sighed, tittering my tongue. "Well, this sempai isn't going to tolerate fighting in her classroom, so you'd better watch yourselves." They continued anyway but I didn't mind, so long as they kept it under control. When Masaomi came down he found the two boys silent and hard at work, making their way through their textbooks as I leaned against the table with my arms folded, ready to whack them on the head with my paper fan if they started anything.

"I don't think I've ever seen those two sit together like that without being at one another's throats." He said with a warm chuckle as he approached, holding something in his hand.

"Believe me it wasn't our choice. Ow!" I whacked Yusuke on top of his head, making him get back to work. I gave a grin to Masaomi.

"I have my methods. What's that you got there?" I asked, thinking it was probably something from his work, however when he held it out to me I was a little confused.

"It's actually for you. It came by personal delivery, though the guy wouldn't say who it was from." Masaomi informed me as I frowned, taking it and looking over the plain black envelope with my name in flashy gold writing. Interesting.

"Who on earth would be delivering mail this time at night?" I wondered aloud as I opened it up, feeling that there was card inside as it didn't bend at all. Futo and Yusuke both watched curiously, lifting their heads from their work as I slid out a cream coloured sheet of card with a professional print finish, each word printed in gold leaf with an insignia at the top. It was pretty flashy so I read it carefully. As I absorbed the words, my fingers tightened their grip on the card.

"What is it? Looks formal." Yusuke asked so I exhaled, trying to remain calm.

"It's an invitation from a guy I met before Christmas. He wants me to go to his new year's celebration at his mansion. Tomorrow." Ichiro Yamamato. What was that slimy creep up to now? Inviting me like this out of the blue. I wonder if it's just another sex party that he wants to try and ensnare me into joining. Surely he realises that I'll just jump overboard and swim back to sure, right?

"What, you mean like a real high class invitation? Who is it from? I might know them." Futo reached out and I handed him the invitation, folding my arms as I pondered. Masaomi glanced at me and seemed to register that something was not quite right by the way I was looking rather murderously at the plant pot in the corner. "Wait, you mean _the_ Ichiro Yamamato? Well big sis, I didn't realise you had connections of your own."

"I don't." I announced, tearing up the invite myself before going to the kitchen and tossing it into the bin. "I want nothing to do with a guy like that. Now, where were we?" I returned my focus to the study session, helping Yusuke understand chemistry so that he could keep up with the rest of the class for his lesson tomorrow whilst I helped Futo with his biology. Masaomi walked away, glancing over his shoulder back at me so I looked up and gave him a reassuring nod of my head and a smile, letting him know that I was okay before I returned back to tutoring.

I enjoyed the teaching aspect so much that I was almost firmly decided upon entering college and going for a course where I could become a fully qualified teacher come next spring. I was looking at places close to home and actually, Meiji university offered a few with really good reviews and had a high ranking in the charts. Now that Yusuke's grades were beginning to pick up, he was even contemplating going there as well as it was starting to look like it really could be an option for him. Wouldn't' that be funny, if we both became first years in the same year?

All the same that invitation crept into the back of my mind. I couldn't have gone anyway because I was going with everyone else to the festival in town. They had a huge market set up and there was going to be a massive fireworks display, so we were all looking forward to it. I'd even helped Ukyo arrange a picnic to take with us, we'd bought all the food, we just needed to put it together and pack it tomorrow. I was really excited, I loved new years and this one promised to be amazing.

Still, that invite. I wonder what Ichiro had been planning. However, I wasn't dumb enough to find out, so I forced myself to forget all about it and instead whacked both Yusuke and Futo on the heads for misbehaving.

"Yay! Come on big sis, I want to play all the games there is and win loads of prizes!" Wataru said as he pulled me by my hand forwards through the crowds, making our way through the market where everything smelled wonderful and there were choruses of laughter everywhere. Wataru had been waiting in anticipation all day, even getting dressed in his yukata the moment he woke up.

"Slow down little bunny, we still have plenty of time before the fireworks." I assured him, drawing him back towards me as I turned, making sure the others were still behind us. I too wore my special yukata, the fabric beautifully decorated with lilies on a purple background, my favourite colour. My hair was even pinned up in a traditional style with special hairpins that Miwa had given to me for Christmas. They effortlessly held up my hair in a pair, one of them holding a beautiful white and gold butterfly whilst the other held rounded stones of jade.

"I know, but there's still so much to do, I mean look at the size of everything!" He beamed up at me and I chuckled, ruffling his hair as the others joined us.

"Now Wataru, you can't go stealing Rikona away all by yourself, remember that she might have her own things she wants to do as well." Masaomi reminded him and Wataru blinked before nodding his head, but I reassured him that I was fine with looking after Wataru and that everyone else should relax and enjoy themselves. Yusuke said he was going to hang out with his friends for a while and Kaname disappeared to do his monk duties, or something along those lines. Futo was setting up for his concert and both Tsubaki and Azusa had already disappeared.

That left Masaomi, Ukyo, Hikaru, Subaru, Iori and Louis. Wataru was pretty impatient to get going so Hikaru stepped forwards and placed his hands on my shoulders, beaming rather mischievously at his brothers. "Well, I think I'll stick with our lovely sister here. I'm sure she'll be showing me a good time." He winked and the others gave mixed reactions, though Louis just followed forwards in agreement.

"Sounds good to me, I can help you keep an eye on your hair this way, Kona." Louis said to me and I relaxed as I was herded forwards with Wataru. Louis gave me an encouraging smile and I felt a little better with him there. He was just so calm, his presence was like the first fall of snowflakes on a crisp winter night.

"Thanks Louis, you really are wonderful with my hair. It feels so nice to be able to have it up and change it every now and again." I said to him and he nodded his head. Between him and Hikaru, I'd been gone through a rather massive transformation, even going so far as to give me geisha styled makeup, with red eye-shadow, defined black eyeliner which winged outwards, full lashes and red lips. When I'd first appeared, everyone else almost fell over in shock as I'd walked down the stairs blushing darker than my lips. It took some time to get used to and I still felt a little uncomfortable, but there were so many beautiful people out that hardly anyone looked my way and that was fine with me.

Wataru took us to several game stalls and I did my best to help him win toys, though it turned out Hikaru was a really good shot and quick with his hands, earning prize after prize though mostly he gave them away to other kids at the stalls if Wataru or none of the rest of us wanted them. "Wow Hikaru, you're really good at these kind of games." I said to him and he winked.

"What can I say? I'm good with my hands." He teased and I rolled my eyes slightly. He was dressed in men's clothing today with his long hair pulled back and I had to say, he really did look handsome. Though it did make me giggle to see that he hadn't removed his nail polish, so his nails remained bright red. "Aren't you going to have a go Louis?"

"Oh no, I'm really not very good at these games. I'll only waste my money." He said honestly and I smiled at him before offering him one of my darts.

"You can have a shot for me if you like? I'm not very good either, but it's all in good fun so it doesn't really matter." I said to him and he thought for a moment before accepting.

"Thanks Kona, that's really very nice of you." He said and Wataru started to cheer Louis on, giving him encouragement as Louis turned his gaze to the balloons, selecting one before throwing the dart forwards. It hit a random balloon, however when it popped open it revealed that we'd won a medium prize, making Wataru cheer loudly as Louis blinked. "Well would you look at that, beginner's luck." He smiled as I clapped my hands.

"You go ahead and choose a prize for yourself Louis, you earned that one!"

"But you paid for the turn, you should choose Kona." He said, looking at me imploringly so I met him in the middle, suggesting that we pick one together. We decided on a geisha panda bear, making the both of us laugh as Louis held it in his arms after I insisted that he keep it as a memento of his lucky shot. Hikaru watched all the while, tapping his chin with his fingers whilst smirking and I glanced his way, looking at him curiously but he only hummed in thought before waving his fingers to draw us all away from the stall so that everyone else could have a turn.

"Where do you want to go next Wataru?" I asked him and he thought for a moment before his eyes brightened.

"Can we get candy? There's a huge stall over there and they have so many of my favourites, can we please?" I thought for a moment, tapping my chin.

"I don't know Wataru, you've eaten a few things already, I don't want you to get sick. Okay, how about this." I decided, crouching down so that I was at his height level. "If we go get you some candy, you have to promise that you won't touch it and you'll keep it safe for another time, that way you won't get sick and you'll have something to look forward to even after the festival ends. Is that a deal?"

"It's a deal big sis!" He beamed throwing his arms around my shoulders. "You're the greatest, I love you!" I froze in place, going completely still as Wataru continued to hug me and Hikaru noticed my reaction, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Oh my, the boy is a smooth talker. Looks like some of the others have some tough competition." He noted but I hardly heard him. Wataru loves me? Like, a real sister? He's never actually said it before, however as I started to feel tears rise to my eyes I snuggled into him and held him close, feeling happier than I had ever been before. I felt truly blessed and I couldn't think of a better way to finish this year, it was truly wonderful this feeling.

"Hey big sis, are you crying?"

"No little bunny, I'm just really very happy right now!" I answered, pulling back and smiling at him tearfully. "I love you too! Come on, let's go get you some candy." Taking his hand again we both beamed at one another then raced off to the candy stall. I let him pick out what he wanted though I limited him by weight, so he decided to go for small portions of lots of different things, ending up with a tidy treasure of candy which I paid for then tucked away in my bag to carry for him. As we walked away, a flash of ginger caught my eye and I looked, seeing Natsume walking in the opposite direction however before I could call out to him he had disappeared.

I stared after him, momentarily distracted however when Louis softly called my name I blinked, hurriedly turning my head back to see where I was going. "Is everything alright?" He asked me, tilting his head and I gave a big smile, nodding my head.

"Yeah, I just thought I saw Natsume over there, but it could have been anyone." I answered whilst pretending not to be too disappointed. Natsume had said that he might make it over to the festival but didn't give any final confirmation, so it still was a possibility that he wouldn't show up at all. Soon enough I was distracted and I had so much fun with the guys, walking around until we met up with Masaomi and he took over watching out for Wataru and told me to go enjoy myself.

"I think I'm going to find myself a beverage of some kind. Take care honey, there are plenty of unsavoury characters out there, particularly with the name Asahina." He said to me, pulling me into him for a squeeze before he kissed my cheek a little lingeringly, making me frown slightly. What did he mean by that? However before I could ask he was walking away, leaving me stumped.

"Well Kona, if you don't mind, I'd actually like to go and have a look at some things by myself. I'm pretty slow when it comes to browsing, so I'll see you around soon." Louis said to me, lifting his hand with a smile. "You know where we're all meeting, right?"

"Sure, just over the grassy bank near the dango stall." I recited to him and he nodded his head, adjusting my hair just a little one last time before he wandered off almost as if he were in a dreamlike state. Louis was such a lovely guy. Turning around I looked for any stall that took my interest then head off in no particular direction, walking around on my own until I heard voices calling out.

"Hey! Sexy sempai! Sexy sempai!" I blinked, already guessing who it was and I turned to see Yusuke's classmates running ahead of him to catch up to me. Did they really have to call me that in public? It's more than a little embarrassing, though I guess that's just boys for you. "Wow, you look super awesome dressed up like that!"

"Yeah, you're prettier than any girl in school!" They flung compliments at me and I looked between them, unsure of how to respond. How do I tell a group of boys that they were acting like horny teenagers? Well, aside from the fact that was what they were, I didn't want to put it too bluntly.

"Quit crowding her, jeez." Yusuke came to my rescue, thumping a few of them on the head before lifting his hand. "Hey. What's up?"

"Oh, hey Suke. Are you enjoying the festival?" I asked before smiling. "I won a good luck totem at one of the stalls, though really it was Hikaru. Turns out I'm just as bad at these games as I am in the arcade." I don't know what I did, however when I stopped talking, the schoolboys all clapped their hands together and chorused as one as if they had rehearsed previously.

"So cute! Marry us sexy sempai!" I touched a hand to my mouth, glancing across to Yusuke who smacked a hand to his face before turning on his friends.

"You guys are such morons! Didn't I already say that she's never going to marry any of you? Get back here! Don't run away from me!" He yelled then started to chase after the others who raced off, fearing his wrath and I tilted my head to the side slightly, a little bewildered before I chuckled. Boys are so adorable when they act like that. Turning I continued walking on my own, stopping occasionally to look at something, however when I saw a pretty hand painted fan with cherry blossoms I reached out for it, thinking it would make a nice souvenir for Miwa so I bought it for her.

Tucking the fan safely into my bag as it rested in its box, I continued on my way, wondering if I should get something for my dad too. Everything was so lively here, I always loved these kind of festivals and I bet everyone who makes the effort to make them so great felt good to see it come together so perfectly. "Futo's show is about to start, come on I want to go see!"

"You mean _the_ Futo Asakura? No way!" A hoard of girls rushed passed me talking about Futo, reminding me that Futo was actually performing here. I guess it's almost time for his show to start. I'll go along too and watch to show my support, I know he's been practicing really hard for this event as he'd been putting in extra practice, sometimes coming home really late at night and I'd find him crashed out on the sofa upstairs. Sometimes I managed to get him to his room, though mostly I just brought him a blanket and made sure he was comfortable.

Following after the girls I went towards the huge stage they'd set up, rather impressed with how quickly they'd put it up and standing at the front of the walkway was Futo, lifting his hand towards his fans and the girls all screamed, making me flinch and want to cover my ears but I restrained myself from doing so. "Good evening everyone! I'm here to welcome to you tonight, it's so great to see you all here, so get ready because the show is about to start!" The fans went wild again and I tilted my head to the side. I was curious as to why girls were so desperately trying to get close to the stage and reach Futo. Didn't they realise that if they swarmed him they'd probably kill him?

I stood way at the back of possibly thousands of people who listened and watched as Futo greeted them before he twirled, the music already playing and he started to sing. I listened to the words until slowly, my hands jumped to my mouth. Those were my words! Or rather, that was one of my poems! He'd turned it into a song? It was almost exactly identical what I'd written with perhaps only a few changes here and there, but it was definitely mine. The melody was soft and beautiful, his voice mellow as he sang from the bottom of his heart and slowly, more people were drawn in. "Oh my, I've never heard this song before, it's beautiful." I heard someone say as Futo continued to sing.

"Yeah, it's so poetic, I love it! I've never been a huge fan, but I really like this song of his! I wonder if he's changing up his style?" Around me I heard several more compliments but I could only watch in awe as Futo took my poems and turned them into something more magical than I could have ever possibly imagined. A light tap on my shoulder made me jump and I looked to see a familiar face.

"Oh! You're that nice man from the VIP lounge who showed me the way." I remembered and he nodded his head, shades still covering his eyes but he gave a slight smile.

"If you'll come with me, Mr Asakura has arranged for backstage passage. We've been looking for you, Miss Hinata." He informed me and I blushed slightly, not meaning to be a nuisance. I followed after him and I was led through the crowds to backstage where I was immediately allowed through, going up to stand in the wings where I could see Futo much more clearly. He really was pouring his heart and soul into the words and when the song ended, the resulting cheer practically rattled the stage.

"Thank you! You're all too kind. Now, before we move on, I have a little surprise for you all." Futo really engaged with the crowd, going right down to the bottom of the walkway to brush his hands out to them, even tossing out flowers and shirts to a few screaming girls who practically wept for joy. I still didn't understand getting so worked up about something to the point you lose control, but then again I guess his fans don't know Futo the way I do. He was my little brother after all.

The next song was more upbeat, something you'd perhaps hear in a club though as I listened to each song Futo sang, there were either snippets from my poems or entire sections. No wonder he'd kept the book for so long then asked for more. That sneaky little devil, I didn't realise he was going to use them to actually make new songs, he could have at least warned me! All the same, I loved the fact that he seemed to be connecting to the words so well, it really showed a difference in his singing.

"You're all such a great audience! We're going to have a quick break, but then I'll be right back!" He promised, waving before exiting off stage towards me. He was sweating slightly and breathing heavily, downing a bottle of water practically in one gulp as he handed over his microphone then looked over to me. "So, what do you think?"

"I think you're pushing your luck somewhat." I answered him, ruffling his hair before I picked up his towel and carefully began to dab at his face. "But you're sticky now, come here and wipe all that muck off your face."

"Hey! It's makeup you idiot." He protested but I wiped away the eyeliner and the contouring, leaving him fresh faced like a daisy. I didn't like his stage look much, they made him look much older than he actually was and it didn't appeal in the slightest. Now he looked more natural, more like himself. It was only then that I realised he was wearing his Christmas waistcoat and his hat was in his hands.

"Aw Fu-Fu! You're wearing my Christmas presents how cute!" I cooed, pinching his cheek as he growled.

"Ugh, don't call me that! Anyway, it suited my look for today's show, but now I have to go back and get my makeup done all over again." He complained at me, shooting me a dark look but I just continued to grin.

"Oh you don't need any of that stuff. A girl likes a guy who's not afraid of how he looks. You're plenty handsome enough already Futo, and you're not quite an adult yet so let your fans see you the way you truly are, then when you grow older, they've got something to look forward to." I reasoned and he stopped, mouth opening and closing as he failed to think of a witty response. I inwardly ticked off another point to me against Futo and I glowed proudly.

"You're a real pain sometimes, you know that?" Unable to deny it, I nodded my head and Futo gave a smirk. "Okay fine, I'll give it a try. But if it all goes wrong, I'm blaming everything on you." I told him that it wasn't a problem as he finished his water then dropped his hat back on his head. He looked so cool, I'm really glad I found those for him. "I'm glad you're here, and you were right by the way, about connecting to the words. I feel like I've improved already." As Futo turned around I flung my arms around him, leaning into his cheek.

"See? Big sister knows what she's talking about. Now go out there and show your fans you're true feelings, you're already bringing in loads of new people who like your new style. They thinks it's very relatable and mature. You're already on your way to the top, Futo, and you didn't have to use anybody to do it. You got that kind of talent all on your own, so don't doubt yourself anymore, okay?" Futo stayed still, letting me hold him until I pulled away and readjusted his hat so it sat properly on his head but he instantly made it slant a little to the side, putting it back where he'd placed it.

"For a girl who doesn't know anything about this business, you'd make a pretty great manager. Looks like I'll be coming to you for advice from now on, so be ready for anything, big sis." He warned me, giving a sly wink. "But you still don't know when to close that pretty mouth of yours." I blinked, lifting my head up slightly but Futo suddenly had his hand curled around the back of my head to anchor it down, turning his lips to smoothly glide over mine as I held him against me. Something felt different about this kiss, it was soft and not forceful at all, if anything it felt full of emotion as Futo then pulled back. "That makes three, but don't worry. I'll be sure to give you air any time you need." He said before he gave another quick wink then returned to stage to leave me rooted to the spot, stunned. "Hey everyone, I'm back!" Shaking off my surprise I smiled softly, watching as Futo continued to perform his songs. It was getting close to eleven now and his show was going to finish at half past, so I listened in the wings to every word that he had to say. Some of his songs were new ones of his own and those I paid particular attention to as they came from the innermost part of his heart. He had many wonderful things to say and I couldn't be more proud.

When the show came to a close, Futo shared his thanks with his fans, sincerely appreciating their support and I think it made them love him all the more as he said his final goodnight then artistically dropped his head and flung out his hands, plunging the stage into darkness before all at once, huge fountains of sparks soared up into the air, illuminating his shadow before once more the stage went dark, the silence being shattered from the roaring screams of the fans as Futo made his way to the wings and I reached out for his hand, guiding him towards me as slowly the lights returned. "Now that is what you call a successful show. You should learn from me Rikki, that's what success looks like." He said to me smugly however I only ruffled his hair.

"Sure thing Fu-Fu. Come on, you need to at least clean your face and hair properly before you're fit to be back in public. You're all sweaty and gross." I teased him and he complained again about being called Fu-Fu as we walked together to his backstage trailer that had been set up. I waited outside patiently, watching the skies as the stars glittered in the distance. When Futo emerged, he too was wearing a yukata, however the moment he stepped forwards there was a collective scream.

"THERE HE IS!" I instantly jumped violently with alarm as a group of girls came rushing forwards, aiming directly for Futo however before they could swamp the trailer, Futo had quickly stepped out in front of me and was holding out his arm as if to shield me.

"Ladies please, calm down, I'll be glad to sign any autographs, it's a special night after all!" He smiled to them all, stepping forwards so that they stopped a little distance away from me and I blinked at Futo. Had he done that on purpose? As he began to sign various magazines and shirts, Futo looked back over his shoulder and winked at me. I knew it. He's a real softie really. Eventually the security came to lead them away, strictly telling them that backstage was for VIP access only. "It takes a little getting used to, that sort of thing. Of course, professionals like me deal with it all the time." Futo announced to me before holding out his hand. "So come along my princess, allow me to escort you to your ball."

"You come out with the weirdest things sometimes Futo." I said to him as I slipped my arm through his. "Let's walk like this instead, then I can pull you out of the way of any stampeding fans much faster." He gave me a quick smile which he tried to hide before walking forwards, leading me back to the festival and some of the girls caught sight of us before beginning to whisper. Then one or two burst into tears. I'm glad I skipped out that faze of my girlhood. "Are you hungry Futo? Do you want anything to eat? It can be my treat." I tempted him and I heard his stomach rumble.

"Well, I guess food isn't a bad idea and since you're buying, I can hardly say no." He decided and I gave a laugh before marching us off to find some form of food that suited his taste. With half an hour until midnight we had fifteen minutes before we were supposed to meet up with everyone else, however Futo wanted to have a look around first before we did so. We stayed side by side, Futo pretty insistent that we didn't get separated and sometimes it was a struggle to move forwards however eventually we found our way to the hill where blankets had been spread out and the others were all waiting. As far as I could see, we were the last to arrive.

"Big sis! We wondered where you had got to, where you with Futo this whole time? Didn't he sound good?" Wataru called out as he ran then jumped at me and I had to catch him under my arms before I lifted him up into the air.

"That's right little bunny, he was pretty good, wasn't he?" I agreed before putting him down, my arms already aching. Wataru told me that he'd saved a spot for me so I sat down and he immediately sat in my lap, my arms naturally curling around him as we all turned to gaze upwards. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Natsume and I smiled inwardly. So he _had_ made it after all. I'm glad, that means all fourteen of us were here. "Do fireworks scare you at all Wataru?"

"No, I'll be fine but if you get scared big sis then you can hold my hand." He told me, making me nuzzle into his cheek to tickle him as Kaname leaned closer.

"Of course if you do get scared little sis, I'll be happy to hold you and keep you safe from the noises." He offered, poking my cheek playfully and this time I didn't feel embarrassed at all, in fact I even smiled.

"That's alright Kaname. Surprisingly fireworks don't scare me at all, I really love them." He smiled back at me, saying something else before leaving me be. The countdown started a few minutes after and we all joined in, Wataru gripping onto my hand tightly in anticipation until finally, the clock reached zero and huge fireworks immediately danced into the sky, blazing in brilliant colours and patterns as people cheered and celebrated together. Wataru whooped, watching the fireworks with wide eyes as I gazed up at them. A new year for us all, I was looking forward to spending it with my brothers, my family.

Sensing someone watching me I blinked then looked around quickly, catching Natsume's gaze before he looked away. Why was he looking at me like that? Did I have something on my face? I frowned slightly before shaking my head, putting it to the back of my mind before returning to watch the fireworks. Once the display was over Wataru slumped, barely awake now that all the excitement was over and I smiled, stroking back his hair as he leaned against me. "I better take him home, he'll be sleeping well tonight." Masaomi said, holding out his hands and let me shift Wataru into his arms to carry him back. "The stalls won't close for another few hours, so feel free to wander around a little longer Rikona, just don't get lost and make sure you have your phone on you at all times."

"Don't worry, I'll be alright." I assured him. There were a couple more things that I wanted to see, I hadn't been able to see the silhouette show or have a look at any of the stalls further to the back of the market. People began to announce their plans, most heading back though Subaru headed into town to drink with friends to celebrate with them, Tsubaki doing the same and dragged Iori and Azusa with him. I helped Ukyo pack up and asked if there was anything else he needed help with but he assured me that he could handle things and that I should enjoy some time to myself.

I did just that, wandering back down into the market, strangely awake and now that most of the people had disappeared, it was much easier to move around and properly enjoy everything. My hair now hung loose around my shoulders, the pins tucked safely in their cases and in my bag for safekeeping. There were so many things to look at that I soon become lost in the lights and the sounds, turning a slow circle to absorb it all before I moved towards the centre of the market. It was a little busier here as there were a few alcohol related stalls and ones that involved gambling so I circled around those, not wanting to bump into anything that would cause a scene before I headed in the general direction of the souvenir stalls.

Seeing a flash of orange I stopped, recognising Natsu as he walked out in front of me. "Hey Natsu!" I waved and he halted, looking towards me where I smiled, glad to see him though he didn't look like he was enjoying himself. "You should smile a little more often Natsu, it's healthy for the soul you know. Aren't you having a good time?" We were walking towards one another as I spoke and I was mildly disappointed to see that he hadn't changed out of his suit. I would have liked to have seen him in a formal robe, I know he'd look very handsome in it.

"I have some stuff on my mind." Tilting my head towards him curiously I arched an eyebrow, trying to discern what it was before I started forwards.

"Well, I always find that an aimless walk is always very refreshing. Care to join me?" I offered then continued to walk ahead until Natsume turned around and followed after me. For a while we said nothing, walking aimlessly as I said we would until suddenly, I remembered Ichiro's invite. "Did you by any chance get an invite to Ichiro Yamamato's new year's party?" I asked but Natsume just looked at me as if I'd grown a second head. "Fair enough, I just wondered because I received one yesterday."

"What? What did you do with it?" Natsume demanded to know but I lifted a hand as I tilted my chin upwards, flicking my wrist dismissively as if it was not important as I spoke.

"I tore it up and threw it away obviously. Who'd want to go to some stupid sex party when I could be here with all my brothers? I had the greatest time, I'm quite sad that it's over now, there won't be anything much to celebrate for a while now." Sighing wistfully I continued to babble, trying to distract Natsume from whatever it was that was bugging him. "Though it came as a surprise, I had to wonder what he was up to. I doubt it was to make peace, but I'm not willing to find out." Stopping at a stall I looked over the woman's wares, bowing to her in greeting before questioning her about her western themed souvenirs.

All the while Natsume watched me and I could feel the back of my neck growing hotter and hotter until finally I just looked at him. "Do I have something on my face? You're staring at me Natsu."

"What's with the Natsu? You've called me that several times already." He answered back, giving me a strange look as I of course blushed bright red.

"Well I don't know, it just sort of slipped out. Sorry, I'll go back to calling you Natsume if that's what you prefer." Thinking for a moment Natsume shook his head, reaching out to pat my head before walking forwards.

"Natsu is fine." I beamed at his back, quickly thanking the woman before hurrying after him. My foot caught on a jagged rock after a while, making my leg jolt forwards and my knee collapse involuntarily however Natsume's quick reflexes caught me under the arm, holding me upright as I flinched slightly, feeling my foot throb slightly. "You okay?"

"Yeah I think so. I always forget to pick my feet up in these shoes. I should have just worn sneakers or something." I mused almost to myself as I stood upright then pulled back my skirts to observe my foot, moving it slowly in rotation and the throbbing soon went away. "There, good as new. I should really look where I'm going and not get so distracted." Natsume nodded his head, starting to move off with that same cold look in his eyes, making me worry about him. "Natsu?"

"Just leave me alone. I'm not in the mood to babysit you." He said rather harshly and I froze in place, staring as his back began to disappear. That hurt, more than it probably should have. He walked further and further away from me and I began to feel a crumbling sensation in my chest before it was replaced with a flare of anger to disguise it. Well fine, if that's how he's going to act then so be it. Arrogant jerk, I was only trying to make him feel better but if that's how he's going to respond then he can have his little tantrum to himself.

Spinning around I stalked off in the opposite direction, my eyes burning dryly as I refused to allow myself to cry for a stupid reason like that. I'm done crying, it's time I really did grow up and face the world as it truly was.


	27. Chapter 27

Not two days after new year's eve another invitation arrived from Ichiro and several more after that, once more inviting me to his mansion but each time I tore them up and tossed them away like they were nothing. I might eventually file a report against him for harassment because this was ridiculous. Anyway, we were a few days into January when the sixth invitation came, however before I could open it to make sure it wasn't actually something important, my phone rang with Natsume's name appearing. For a moment I considered not answering, however at the back of my mind I reasoned maybe he was calling to apologise. If I didn't like what he was saying then I could just hang up.

"What do _you_ want?" I questioned, putting the envelope down however after a brief pause, I frowned. Being still angry at him I was thinking about giving him a lecture, however after a while the voice who spoke wasn't Natsume's.

"Hello little mouse. Remember me?" In a panic, I hung up. Shocked I even threw my phone onto my bed, squeaking as I stared at my phone then looked at the invite. In the partially opened envelope. This time, it was blood red. Once again my phone rang with Natsume's identification so slowly I reached out and answered it, pressing it to my ear. "That was rather rude you know."

"What are you doing with Natsume's phone?" I demanded to know, looking at my clock. It was nine in the evening. Not terribly late, but all the same, I started to worry.

"Well you see, Natsume found his way over to my place in a bit of a drunken rage. Now the thing is, he's interrupted a very important gathering of mine and he needs someone to come collect him but also pay for the damages, I'm assuming you'll collect on his debts? We wouldn't want anything to happen to him, do we?" He questioned darkly and I balled a fist tightly at my side.

"Where is he?" My next question came in a tight but low voice, starting to pace my room as I listened to Ichiro's laugh before I heard the phone move. Gradually I heard someone breathing before a groan. Natsume?

"Rikona…don't do anything this bastard tells you…" He sounded heavy, so either he really was drunk or he'd been beaten breathless. When I get my hands on the both of them, I'm going to smash their heads together I swear. Tsk, such a pain.

"Just shut up you idiot, I'll be over there in an hour to drag your ass home." I warned him darkly as Ichiro gave a laugh, the phone returning to his ear. "You had better not have hurt him."

"Don't worry, his face is still intact little mouse. Hurry on over from your burrow, I'll be waiting! Oh, and make sure you look stunningly gorgeous or you won't be allowed inside. Don't make me wait, I've been thinking about you ever since that day we met." He started to go on about some kind of twisted fantasy but I hung up on him again. Great, now I have to actually show up at his mansion dressed like a hooker. Or at least, that's what he thinks. If he wants a show, I'll give him a show that he'll never forget.

Going into my wardrobe I pulled out the burgundy dress that had made Miwa cry before then going for my best underwear, the lacy black ones with red roses. I was going to look and feel my absolute best, I'm going to walk in their knock their socks off, personally knock their heads off and then drag Natsume out by his ear. Quickly I got changed, pulling on my strappy heels then brushed through my hair. I didn't have time to ask Louis to do anything with it so I left it loose, feeling that this was as good a hairstyle as any other.

I decided to go natural, feeling that I was going to show them my natural looks rather than plough on the makeup, which I'd probably only mess up anyway. Calling for a taxi I asked for one as soon as possible, making sure I had the money ready to go as well as the invitation. Slipping everything I needed into a silver clutch I snapped it shut with a look of irritation on my face. The taxi arrived five minutes later and I breezed out of my room, striding past Tsubaki and Subaru who both stared with dropped jaws as I continued to glare forwards. "I'm going out, don't worry if I don't come back tonight. I have a mess I have to clean up." I announced but said nothing more on the matter.

Taking the elevator down I maintained my annoyed expression all the way to Ichiro's mansion where the taxi driver started in disbelief. "You sure this is the right place?"

"Oh I'm sure. Here, keep the change. Thanks for the ride." I said to him as I handed the money as he pulled up outside having been let through the gates after I flashed the invitation. Gathering my skirt in one hand I walked up the stone steps to the oversized and flashy mansion that looked fairly modernised and already I could see people embracing one another intimately in the windows. Disgusting. Things like that should be private, not public. As a security guard lifted his hand I did not break pace, showing him the invitation as well then tossed it over my shoulder. I have no more use for that.

I head directly for the closed doors straight ahead of me, somehow sensing that that's where Ichiro and Natsume would be. There were two porters there however as they reached for the handles to open them I grabbed them myself and pushed them open with enough force to make them bang against the walls as I stormed inside, my hair writhing on the wrathful breeze that I created and instantly everyone jumped, looking around to see me as I halted at the top of the stairs.

My eyes fixated on Ichiro, seeing him lounging on a chair with a woman's hand down the front of his pants with an arm slung around Natsume who looked more than uncomfortable, his hands bound together and women fawning over him, his shirt ripped open with no buttons left to spare. There was a security guard standing behind him, obviously to keep him from moving. That idiot. Lifting my skirt I started to descend, Natsume's eyes widening slightly as if horrified that I'd actually come and silently he pleaded with me to simply run. "Little mouse! So you have found my humble abode, welcome." Ichiro proclaimed, shoving his girl away as others began to go back to their lovemaking. He stood up and came to greet me however I breezed past him, aiming directly for Natsume.

Without holding anything back, I slapped him across the face, the stinging sound rippling and the women that were touching him squeaked and leaped back, shrinking away from me as my eyes burned into him with disappointment. "Has that sobered you up you idiot?" I demanded to know, my voice low and controlled as Natsume's head remained turned to the side. I was extremely angry with him at this moment and no words could express the kind of expression I had right now. All the same I stepped away from him, retreating back a few steps before I turned on Ichiro. "I'll be taking him and leaving. Unbind his hands."

"Leaving so soon? But little mouse, we have not even discussed his payment. After all, he did break some very expensive vases and even tried to attack me. Don't you think I deserve…recompense?" He queried suggestively as he trailed a finger down my face as he started to circle me. This seemed to snag a response from Natsume who tried to surge forwards but his bonds held him tight and the guard grabbed his shoulders and forced him back down though Natsume struggled, snarling dangerously.

"Don't you touch her!" I ignored him, carefully watching Ichiro who ghosted his hands over my shoulders as I stood tall, not a tremble in sight.

"I think your body should be payment enough, though I'll have to keep it for at least twenty four hours for full compensation. That's all it will cost, twenty four hours and then this will all be over. You can manage that much, can't you little mouse?" He questioned, however the moment he moved to the side my hand shot out and grabbed his pride between his legs and squeezed mercilessly, making a girly screech rip from his lips as I closed my eyes patiently.

"With crappy courting lines like that, you're a century too soon to be trying to fool around with someone like me." I told him, turning my head to give him a glare that froze the blood in his veins. "I do not have any intention of repaying you for some broken china, the only thing I came for is Natsume and I refuse to leave without him." Removing my hand I then slammed my palm against his chest, sending him tumbling back into the seat with an inelegant topple, the guards all jumping slightly but didn't move further as my eyes remained fixated on Ichiro. "If you ever even think about me again, or try to contact myself or anyone in my family…then I absolutely will not forgive you! You are testing the limit of my wrath with this inexcusable stunt that you've pulled. Dragging me out here late in the evening to pick up my drunk big brother even though he's pissed me off. You have no class, you should be ashamed of yourself." I stepped a little closer, making Ichiro shrink back as I felt my rage burn with an unfathomable wealth that I never knew I had. "To a woman like me, I have no pity for a man who wallows himself in the lies of wealth and gatherings where all emotions are falsified through passion. When you lose your wealth and these people no longer have need of you, then you will be left with nothing but emptiness and meaninglessness. At least I have family whom I can treasure, who I can share and create long lasting memories with. If you ever dare enter into my life again without my consent, then I shall rip off what is most precious to you and make you swallow it yourself."

By the time I reached him I was gripping onto the front of his clothes, towering over him with eyes of violet fire before I pushed him back, no longer interested in him. With quick work of my fingers I pulled Natsume to his feet and he staggered slightly, holding onto his ribs as the blood on his face started to dry. Grasping his wrist in an iron grip I strode away, people shrinking back from me and as we passed through the doors, no one even tried to stop us. I saw Natsume's car parked within the front courtyard so I let go of his wrist and held out my hand. "Keys." I was not in the mood to speak to him and he seemed to recognise that to try and talk to me would probably end up with him unconscious.

Natsume dropped the keys into my hand and I ripped open the passenger seat and left it open for him, silently ordering him to get inside as I took the driver's seat. He looked a little surprised as I started the car then tore away barely before he'd put on his seatbelt. I had a full license to drive, I'd just never needed a car of my own before. Getting out of there as quickly as I could I slid onto the road and did not slow down until we hit the main road heading back into town.

The air was stone cold silent and I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my jaw clenched. Natsume was so stupid, going after Ichiro that way, why the hell was he drunk? What has he been getting himself into? If I don't find out the answers soon then I'm going to murder someone. I took Natsume home, parking the car quietly as not to disturb the neighbours before switching off the engine. "I'll patch you up then I'm taking your car to drive home. I am not walking back in these heels." I announced to him, sliding out of the car as he did the same.

I waited for him to enter the code then head on upstairs where I immediately searched for his medicine kit. Thankfully he had one handy, though it looked like the worst of it was just bruising so there wasn't much to be done. All the same I sponged off the blood as Natsume watched me, trying to get a read on my thoughts but I ignored his eyes and focused on what I was doing. "You were reckless and irresponsible. I told you not to go after Yamamato but you did it anyway, after getting drunk as well! What the _hell_ is wrong with you Natsume Asahina?"

"I felt like drinking." He answered me back coldly so I flicked him with my cloth.

"I know you're lying." Shooting him a filthy look I began to disinfect and clean the cut over his eyebrow, cleaning away the blood before I taped it together. It shouldn't scar but I would keep an eye on it all the same. "If you're not going to tell me, fine. At least have enough respect for yourself though to be able to control your drinking habits." Giving a long sigh I pressed a cold compress against his side which he was favouring slightly, pushing back his ruined shirt to reach. "There, you're all done."

"Thanks kiddo." Suddenly I snapped, my fist closing and thumping him heavily on the shoulder as I pressed my eyes shut.

"I am not a child! So stop calling me that." Gritting my teeth I looked away, feeling my face begin to colour heavily. "You're such an idiot Natsume. A little sister shouldn't be having to rescue her big brother like this then nurse his wounds after. I'm going home. Don't talk to me until you've cooled your head a little." Even though the cats meowed at me I only briefly brushed my hand over their backs, striding away with a rustle of fabric, intending to take Natsume's car and drive home but when I heard him suddenly come storming after me I turned.

His hands gripped my upper arms and suddenly I was being pressed against the wall, Natsume's face bowed as his shoulders and hands trembled angrily. "You know what? It really pisses me off when you call me big brother like that. I can't and won't ever think of you as my little sister. I refuse." My eyes widened, hurt flashing through me as Natsume lifted his head and those piercing eyes focused on me completely. "Yeah, I know you're not a kid. I see it every time I look at you, every time you wear a dress that is just _begging_ me to rip it off. I see it every time you blush and look away from me, I see it each time you open your mouth. I see it all the time, and that really pisses me off too. I haven't had a moment of peace ever since you appeared, so you know what else? I blame you for all of this. For once it's not me, this is all on you." His fingers gripped onto me tightly, refusing to let me go but I was too stunned to even think about pushing him away as I listened. "You're driving me crazy and it takes everything I have not to just make you mine, but I'm not holding back anymore, I'm done trying to hide what I'm feeling."

As he spoke he emphasised his meaning by thumping a fist into the wall above my head whilst his other hand stayed to hold onto my shoulder. Then he was kissing me. _Hard_. He kissed me with so much passion and fervour that it took my breath away, my body hardly realising what was happening until suddenly with a snap, everything came into focus. His hand was at my breast, shaping his fingers into the curve and squeezing with his powerful fingers as his lips masterfully coaxed mine to respond, penetrating my mouth deeply and claiming it for his own as his tongue slid over my lips and coiled with my own, dragging a wanton moan from me as I began to shudder.

These feelings that were welling up inside me were unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I was growing hot all over and a slow throb began to grow at the apex of my legs as Natsume explored my flesh freely, my body beginning to answer to his manipulation as if it had known how all along. The only thing that detracted from the moment was the alcohol on Natsume's breath. It was a sharp awakening, making me slowly freeze before I began to push him away. "Natsume stop. You're still drunk." I told him, wrestling with his hands however even as I managed to grip his wrists and push them off me, his lips attacked mine against with bruising ferocity. "Natsume, I said stop!" Holding nothing back I pushed him off me then grabbed him by his jacket to fling him towards his bed. "Go to sleep and cool your head. I won't do this with you like this when you have no control."

"Rikona…" Natsume moaned, eyes bleary and struggling to stay open. "Rikona…" I wanted to stay and nurture him, however I knew that if I didn't get out of there now, things would only progress and I wouldn't be able to stop him a second time.

"Goodnight Natsu, sleep well." I murmured before switching off the lights.


	28. Chapter 28

After that I never heard from Ichiro again, I think I finally got the message through to his head that I had no interest in him whatsoever, and there were plenty of witnesses to observe his humiliation and he didn't want to go through all that a third time. I ploughed myself into my chores and kept myself busy with this and that, helping everyone the best I could. I still went to Subaru's practices and cheered for him, the guys on the team constantly asking for good luck kisses but I would pointedly tell them that such things were reserved for brothers only on _extremely_ special occasions.

I also started going to a few more of Futo's concerts whenever he asked me, and sometimes I showed up just to surprise him. It seems I had a permanent backstage pass I was always allowed through without question and I think people began to recognise me as they would start to whisper about Futo's new big sister. With the year starting anew, I continued to be myself to the best of my ability, however I kept on thinking to that night when Natsume had got drunk and took a swing at Ichiro and how he had kissed me afterwards. He never called afterwards, so I think he had been too drunk to remember. I made a good choice, I would have hated for our first time to be forgotten, if we ever did have a first time. So with that in mind, whenever we saw one another I did my best to act the same as I always would.

I'd even finally made up my mind about becoming a teacher and was set to join Meiji university the year after this one so that I'd enter as a freshman, but first I wanted to work for a while to be able to support myself properly so I even began to look for a job. To be honest I was looking forward to it and I kept up my studies, buying all my books in preparation and made sure to keep my own skills so that they didn't fade away. With all my brothers around me, a few of them started asking more favours out of me. Hikaru wanted to interview me about how I would react to things to help his research on a character he was developing. Although he was a journalist, he was really good at writing stories too and I really looked forward to buying my own copy of his book.

Tsubaki and Azusa even rehearsed their lines with me occasionally, asking for my feedback and took me to their conventions as well. They liked to introduce me as their little sister and soon I felt more than comfortable with strangers to be able to interact and talk to them on a basic level, however if any of the men ever tried a move on me I would instantly freeze up and one of the twins would have to rescue me. It's been tiring but I love it all, so it really was no trouble and I was glad to be able to support everyone in their own way.

One night I found Ukyo pouring over a case with the lights switched on low and his sleeves rolled up. It may be almost spring but it was still chilly so I picked up a blanket and turned up the lights as I walked over to him. He blinked then looked around, feeling the blanket as I placed it over his shoulders. "You'll hurt your eyes if you try to study in this kind of light, and you should keep warm to avoid getting ill." I said to him as he looked over his shoulder at me. "Do you want a drink?"

"Coffee would be greatly appreciated, thank you Rikona." He said so I went to make him that drink, noticing that he looked rather stressed.

"Is that a case you've been working on?" I asked and he nodded his head.

"Yeah, my client is in a pretty tight spot. He's been accused of murder and my gut tells me he's innocent, but there's just too much evidence stacked against him. Mostly circumstantial. He had a lot to gain by committing the crime, but the wife insists that it was him as she was in the house when it happened and that there was no one else around, plus there was no sign of a break in. It's not looking good." I felt bad for Ukyo, he was trying so hard to help this man avoid false accusations and I could see the stress it was causing him as he rubbed his face.

Placing the coffee down carefully in front of him I also brought him a snack to keep up his energy. "Is there anything I can help with?" I offered, wanting to try and make this a little easier for Ukyo.

"I don't think so, but thank you for your kind offer. I'll find something, I'm sure of it. I'm going to have a meeting with the widow tomorrow and try and hear what she has to say with her own lips. Maybe she'll slip up or reveal something she's been hiding. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something doesn't feel right." Ukyo said so I patted his shoulder, giving him an encouraging smile before making to grab some food for myself. There was a long pause of silence, disturbed only by the occasional rustle of paper until slowly, Ukyo turned around and spoke again. "Rikona, you're really good at getting a read on people, aren't you?" He asked and I blinked, looking over to him.

"I'm no expert, but I think I'm fairly decent at understanding people. Occasionally I'm fooled or I misjudge, so I'm not perfect." I revealed but Ukyo got up and walked over to me, handing over a picture of a handsome woman who was wearing lipstick too bright for her features and with her hair in an expensive looking perm.

"I would love for a second opinion. It would mean the world to me if you'd come along to my meeting and listen to what she has to say. I'm sure between us we can come up with something." He requested as I continued to drink in the lady's face. "Her name is Aiko, her husband was a very wealthy businessman who was part of the oil business overseas."

"Wouldn't it be rude of me to be there with you? Surely you wouldn't be able to use anything she said in court?" I reasoned, frowning slightly.

"It's just an informal chat that she's agreed to, so don't worry about a thing. She understands that she has every right to choose what she says, but let's just say I've worked my charms to get her on side." He smiled down at me so I nodded my head, agreeing to go with him. If Ukyo said it was okay then there was no reason to be concerned, so the next morning I got dressed in a smart blouse and my nice beige jeans, twisting my hair up and securing it with a bobble before grabbing my jacket and coat.

Ukyo wore his usual smart attire, his long coat draped over his arm waiting for me. "You look lovely, are you ready?" He asked and I nodded my head, taking a breath for confidence. This was for Ukyo, so I had to do my best. I'd taken a course or two in law and politics so I had the basics gathered at the very least, besides all I would be doing is listening to what this Aiko had to say for herself. If Ukyo was right, then she could be hiding something. We ended up at a luxurious restaurant and I blinked, glad that I had dressed up a little.

On the way Ukyo had told me a little more about the case. Not specific details, but things like his client was the businessman's son and Aiko was the stepmother. I thought carefully over all the facts that I knew but I could not see anything out of the ordinary. It was not unreasonable to think that the son would kill his father to inherit, however it seems that Aiko would be the one to receive everything as the father and son were having disputes running up to the death.

Ukyo led me to a reserved table where the woman, Aiko, was already waiting. Her wild hair was jet black and made her face seem rather small, large grey eyes locking onto Ukyo to blossom into a smile, however when she saw me her face instantly dropped though I smiled to her in greeting. "Ukyo my dear, you did not tell me that we were having company." She said slowly, eyeing me up and I swallowed back the lump in my throat.

"A last minute change of plans, my apologies, may I introduce my sister Rikona Hinata? I promised that I would run her on her errands but there was no time to collect her after our meeting."

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you ma'am." I said, giving a polite bow. "I won't be any trouble, please just pretend I am not here." I requested and she glanced at me one more time before nodding her head, a sickly smile on her face. Something about her felt off as well. Her eyes never left Ukyo as he pulled out a chair for me and kindly sat me down before assuming his own seat directly opposite her.

"You look dashing my dear Ukyo, I'm so glad you asked me here today. With my husband's death, it's nice to be treated like a lady and forget it all for a while." She said to him and the conversation continued. A waiter came and took our order but I refused to order anything despite Ukyo's offer, saying that this wasn't meant to be a treat for me and that I wasn't hungry. Aiko pointedly ignored me, not engaging me in conversation as she was completely fixed on Ukyo and that was fine by me.

She avoided the topic of her husband's murder and Ukyo did not push it, not wanting to give himself away. He was actually a very charming man, sometimes even rivalling Kaname with his skill to woo a lady like Aiko. With her distracted, it gave me the chance to observe her facial expressions. She was coy and obviously very manipulative, but underneath it all I found no suppressed innocence, just coldness. She did not even seem remotely upset that her husband had been brutally murdered, in fact she glossed over it as easily as if it were a minor inconvenience. She was stone cold and I did not like her. The waiter came with their food however he accidentally knocked my fork off the table when his hand slipped, alarm showing in his face but I smiled to him. "It's alright, allow me." He seemed to relax when I did not kick up a fuss and I bent down to reach for it.

With my head lowered downwards, I glanced under the table and almost stopped. Aiko had wiggled her foot out of her high heeled shoe and was massaging her foot up and down Ukyo's leg before pressing between his thighs, making him shift slightly as she toyed with him slowly. Blushing furiously I grabbed the knife then sat up, placing it back on the table as I did my best to try and forget what I just saw. Ukyo was beginning to struggle to keep on track, trying to find a way to get Aiko to talk again about what had happened, so finally I decided to step in.

"Although this court trial is rather taxing, at least I can be comforted that justice will be done. It's a shame you were forced to be my step-son's lawyer, Ukyo, I would have much preferred you to be advocating for me." Aiko said with a smile and I could see Ukyo going slightly red so I lifted my head.

"You've mentioned that your husband was murdered, you have my deepest condolences. It must have been so awful for you to be informed that your husband died in such a way." I said and Aiko blinked before looking at me, surprised that I had finally spoke up but I smiled to her and reached across, sympathetically patting her hand and she continued to stare at me in surprise before giving a long sigh.

"Oh it was far worse than that, sweet pea, I was the one who found him. You see, I'd been in the shower in my vanity room when I heard a lot of thumping around upstairs. I thought it rather odd but I was in the middle of washing my hair, so I finished up first before going up to my husband's study which is directly above my vanity room." She explained to me, giving a full account of the tragic details. "That's where I found him, blood everywhere with his throat cut. I just about saw someone jumping out the window but I was in such a shock, all I could think to do was run to my husband." Aiko gave a little sniff, dabbing at her eyes though there weren't any tears. "And it had been such a good day as well. I'd been to the hairdressers, had my nails done and we were even planning on going out that evening. My husband was always so busy, but he made the time for me that day and it was all ruined."

My eyes flashed slightly, flicking towards her as something caught my attention. Her hair? She went and got her hair done? "It is tragic, but you are such a beautiful young woman I'm sure that you'll find happiness again soon. Tell me, where do you get your hair done? It looks absolutely wonderful, is it naturally like that?" I questioned, engaging her in a topic that she obviously liked to discuss as she finally turned her full attention to me as Ukyo tugged on his collar. Poor Ukyo, I'm doing my best.

"Oh no my hair is naturally very straight but that just makes my face look extremely wide, so I have it permed every now and then to make it look softer. Do you want to feel? There's practically no damage to it at all." It was very soft and I complimented her again, telling her that I left my hair in the care of my brother Louis as I wasn't very good at fixing it up. Aiko agreed with me, saying that I didn't suit the style I was wearing at all and started to pull out the bobble and pins, letting my hair fall loose around my shoulders. "There, that's a small improvement. With the right cut and some makeup, you could make for a somewhat cute girl." She said to me and I smiled, pretending to take it as a huge compliment.

As she became distracted with Ukyo once more, I quietly reached across and tugged his sleeve, making him look at me. All I gave was a single nod and he seemed to understand that I had something for him. Keeping my mouth shut after that Ukyo and Aiko ordered desserts, however when Ukyo received his he passed it to me, placing a beautifully crafted slice of strawberry and cream cake in front of me. My mouth watered. "As a thank for you for being so patient. I know it's your favourite." He smiled to me and I thanked him, beaming happily before tucking in.

It was light and fluffy, absolutely perfect and I ate it all down to the last crumb. Aiko tried to persuade Ukyo to go for a walk with her and even hinted at a hotel but Ukyo stood as I pulled on my jacket and placed his hand on the back of my neck, smiling down to Aiko. "Apologies, but I really must get Rikona to her appointment. Thank you for your time, I shall see you soon in court." He thanked and Aiko pouted slightly as Ukyo turned and led me away. "I'm sorry that took longer than I intended, are you alright?" Ukyo asked and I nodded my head, deep in thought as I went over the details in my head. It was a very small catch, but unless the right person caught it then it would have gone completely unnoticed. "Rikona?"

"She's lying about everything, Ukyo." I revealed and he stopped slightly but I tugged on his sleeve to keep him walking, leaving the restaurant as not to let Aiko see us. "In fact, I think she's lying even about seeing that man jump from the window. I can't be certain yet, but would it be alright if I looked over your notes from the investigations? If I'm right, I want to be a hundred percent sure, because it could very well prove your client's innocence."

"Of course, I have them all here with me. Would you like to go sit down somewhere?" I nodded my head, eager to have a look so we walked further downtown to my favourite café and Ukyo ordered us both drinks whilst I found a large coffee table and started to read through his notes. He returned with a camomile tea for me and I sipped it thoughtfully, my other hand holding the police reports from the crime scene as well as reading over Aiko's alibi. Technically I had no right to view these, however I could argue that a second opinion from someone who has studied law is not illegal. I've studied a great many things to be well rounded in my education since I had no social life growing up. Studying was the only way I passed the time.

Ukyo patiently waited, observing me quietly as I leaned back in my seat, reading over the last paper before I neatly set it down and put everything away just as I had found it, making sure it was tidy before I returned the folder to Ukyo. He waited and I bit down on my lip, a little nervous. "The investigation of the crime scene didn't reveal any sign of breaking and entering, the only struggle was in the study, right?" I asked and Ukyo nodded his head, fixing his glasses and watching me closely. "Well there's something else I noticed. Aiko said that the man jumped from the window, well according to the layout of the house that would be the second floor as she was on the ground floor in her private room. It's a stroke of luck, but one of the officers noted that the bushes below the window did not show sign of being disturbed or disfigured in any way."

"So she has made up the man from the window." Ukyo realised, frowning. "Unfortunately that won't be enough to accuse her of being involved with the murder. I'll need more solid evidence."

"It's much worse than that, Ukyo. I think Aiko might have been the one who killed her husband." His eyes widened in alarm so I proceeded to explain. "She slipped up, it's in her alibi which you have written in ink and you can refer to it in your case. You heard her when she said she'd got her hair and nails done, right? Well, the thing is, she then said that she was in the shower washing her hair when she heard the disturbance. Now ordinarily I wouldn't have noticed it, but Louis has taught me a thing or two about hair care. If there's one thing you don't do after getting a perm, it's washing it. She's lying about everything, trying to cover up that she's the real murderer and is trying to blame it on the son. I'll bet anything she's even tampered with the will. Is there a way you can find out?" Ukyo already had his phone in hand and was making a call.

He stepped outside to talk, standing just within eyesight of the window as I finished my tea, giving a long exhale as I reached out and picked up Ukyo's file, tucking it into my chest to keep it safe as I waited for several minutes until Ukyo returned. "It's in hand as we speak. Are you finished with your tea? I'll take you home for now." He said, eyes serious and a little distant in thought so I nodded my head and picked up my bag, handing him back the file which he slipped into his briefcase.

Together we left the shop and began to make our way home in complete silence as I was unable to think of anything to say and I didn't want to interrupt Ukyo's train of thought. I could tell that he was tense and the mood was a little morbid, however several minutes later Ukyo received a call and he answered it. I caught snippets of the conversation and to my understanding, I was right. The will had been tampered with and it had been changed moments before the husband's death. How could a woman do that to a man she was supposed to be in love with? All that for money, it made me sick.

"Rikona, you were right about the will and I'm convinced that you're right about Aiko. How on earth did you catch on so quickly? You barely even looked at the case yet you could pinpoint it almost straightaway." He frowned slightly so I just turned a small smile up at him.

"Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see things from a different angle. If Louis hadn't told me all sorts of things about hair then I probably wouldn't have found the flaw in her alibi, yet there was something I sensed about Aiko that didn't sit right with me. In my opinion, she is not a very nice person and was very cold hearted." I reasoned as my voice paled slightly unhappily, thinking that such people really did exist in the world. "A person like that, definitely would be able to commit murder."

"Well, I'm in your debt Rikona. If all goes well, we may be able to turn this case over on its head and my client will be spared a prison sentence." Ukyo said to me and I nodded my head, taking some comfort in that truth. At least the innocent should be able to walk free. That's something at least, and hopefully Aiko will be made to pay for doing such unthinkable things to her husband.

"Please, let me know how the case goes. I'll be sure to keep my fingers crossed for you." I said and Ukyo gave me a smile, his hand going to my head to smooth back my hair in an affectionate pat.

"I will, but don't you worry about a thing. I'll handle everything from here so you just focus on what you need to do and keeping healthy. You're looking rather pale, have you been sleeping enough?" In truth I'd hardly slept at all these past few weeks. Since that incident with Natsume all I could think about was how he'd thrown me against the wall and had said many things that had made my skin burn with heat. Maybe it had been the alcohol talking, but what saddened me is that I'll never know the truth. It's not like I could just demand answers for something he couldn't even remember.

"I'm fine, I haven't really been out in the sun all that much so that's probably the reason." I excused and Ukyo accepted it without thought. The cherry blossoms would be blooming soon and it was steadily getting warmer. I think I'll suggest going to see them with everyone when they arrive. Lifting my head I exhaled quietly, tucking my hair behind my ear before tying it back to keep it from my face.

When we arrived home I started on dinner, urging Ukyo to take some time to himself and make any last minute preparations that he needed, assuring him that I could handle things in the kitchen by myself. Once I had my apron on I started to cook the food, noting how many would be coming and was happy to see that most of us would be there, with the exceptions of Hikaru, Masaomi, Futo and Iori. Today I was making an Italian dish from one of the recipes in Ukyo's new cookbook that Wataru and I had got him for Christmas, so I carefully followed the instructions and cooked enough that everyone could eat their fill. "Hey little lady, how are things looking in here?" I gave a tired smile, feeling hot and bothered from working over the stove.

"Almost done, I think it'll all be ready in five minutes or so." I answered Kaname as he stood in his casual clothes rather than his monk robes.

"Just to let you know Natsume will be joining us this evening, sorry we didn't inform you sooner but it was a rather sudden decision. I hope it's not any trouble." Kaname said, giving me his charming smile and I almost faltered but I managed to cover up any surprised or uncomfortableness, stirring the bubbling contents of the pot slowly.

"It's no trouble, I made plenty even for extras." I answered, turning my attention back to what I was doing, though in my mind I was reeling. Natsume was coming? It gets harder and harder to try and act normal around him each time I see him. I hardly know what to say and each time I look at him, I keep on thinking back to how angry he'd been when he was drunk. Also that kiss, did he mean it? In some ways I hope he didn't as it had hurt a lot and almost bruised but I'd been able to ice my lips without anyone knowing when I got home.

Shaking my head I focused on the food, wiping away a little sweat from my brow before starting to dish it out onto plates. When I called everyone for food Azusa went knocking on doors, making sure everyone came to the table. As Kaname and Louis helped take the plates out to the table I made myself a coffee then made my way over to the table just as Natsume came downstairs. I forced myself not to look at him, taking a sip of my drink as Tsubaki and Yusuke came running down the opposite set of stairs, Yusuke yelling at his brother.

"Come on dude, give it back! This isn't cool!" I don't know what Tsubaki had taken, however before I knew it Yusuke had collided with me, not seeing me step out in front of him and I felt my entire body lurch, the drink falling from my hands as I collapsed to the floor, Yusuke falling against a chair. "Rikki!" Hot coffee flew from the inside of the mug, flaring outwards and came tumbling down towards me as I gasped, staring in fear before I instinctively rolled to the side twice, hearing the mug smash as I gripped my head with my hands. "Rikki are you okay?!"

"Rikona!" Several voices called out and they rang painfully in my head which was throbbing with hurt. I haven't had such a painful migraine in a long time and my eyes hurt too. For a moment everything sounded fuzzy and muffled until my senses sharpened, allowing me to push myself slowly up onto my side as Azusa reached me first, closely followed by Yusuke and Louis as everyone else froze in shock. "Are you alright? Were you burned anywhere?" Azusa questioned hurriedly, hand going to my face however the moment he felt my burning skin he tensed. "Rikona, you have a fever, are you unwell?"

"I'm alright. It was just an accident." I excused, giving a smile to Yusuke who looked like he'd just accidentally destroyed the world. "Just please don't run around the kitchen anymore, alright?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry Rikki." He said, his hand resting against my arm as everyone else crowded around. My head felt painfully tight and I gripped it, realising that I really did have a temperature.

"I think I'll just go and have a lie down, I'm rather tired after all." I murmured to myself and I slowly began to get up, Azusa and Yusuke insisted on helping me but I forced a smile to my face, turning around to reassure everyone. "Please, enjoy the food, there's enough for everyone."

"Rikki are you sure you're alright? You look like you're about to faint." They started to fuss over me, wanting to take me to a doctor or call Masaomi but I didn't want anything like that, I just wanted to go to bed with a cooling cloth over my head. I appreciated their concern but it really was unnecessary for the moment. Somehow I managed to calm them down, stepping backwards and lifting my hands, telling them that I was going to have a sleep and if I wasn't better by morning then I'd go to a doctor. This seemed to pacify them so I turned around to head back to my room but then I saw Natsume, watching me intently.

For a moment I was unsure of what to do, panicking when his eyes fixed on mine but I managed a shaky smile as I walked tentatively past him, though nothing more than that. The stairs were a pain as I felt even more lightheaded when I reached the top, however by the time I got to the elevator I was depending on the walls for support. I just needed sleep. I'll be fine after that. Some rest will set me right as rain, then I'll be ready to face the world again.


	29. Chapter 29

As it happens, I ended up sleeping for almost three days. The others told me when I woke up that I'd regained consciousness occasionally but I never spoke and didn't wake up long enough to eat or drink, so they took it in turns to take care of me with Masaomi keeping a close eye on my health. He determined that I'd been working too hard with the chores and searching for a job and told me that I was strictly under no circumstances to pick up on anyone else's chores just to make life a little easier for them. Everyone else agreed so I was left with no choice.

After three days I was glad for a long bath, however when I checked my phone I found a message from Natsume, saying that he hoped I'd get better soon and that he'd stop by to see me. That was a few hours after I'd first really shown symptoms of illness and Yusuke did mention that Natsume had come once or twice to see me. I blushed slightly at the thought but then scolded myself. It didn't mean anything, he was just a little concerned, that was all.

Wataru told me all about how he'd been my very personal nurse, cooling my head and helping to spoon feed me and I hugged him tight and tickled him as I thanked him, ruffling his hair before letting him go. The cherry blossoms were beginning to bud and as I took a refreshing walk, I enjoyed seeming them in their early stages, the peaceful morning was crisp but warm enough to enjoy. Just an hour earlier Ukyo had told me that his client had won the case and the charges were shifted to Aiko, which made me glad to know that I had been of some use to him.

Everything seemed so nice and out here, I was able to let go of my concerns and just focus on how beautiful everything looked. My comfortable hoodie and ripped up jeans had come back out my wardrobe to serve as a home comfort and I felt infinitely better being in clothes that weren't sweaty and made me feel much more at ease within myself. The glistening lake was so calm it was like a layer of glass, shimmering under the sunlight and was only disturbed by the ducks that glided over it, cutting smooth ripples into the iridescent surface. Smiling to myself I moved forwards, hands tucked deep into my pockets.

Reaching for the hair framing my face I pushed it back, tucking it behind my ear within my hood then lifted my head, hearing someone jogging as their feet touched the ground in a rhythmic pattern. "Rikona?" Natsume stopped, seeing me also and I suppressed my panic before it even appeared, too at ease and calm to be surprised to see him.

"Hey Natsu." I greeted him softly, returning my hand to my pocket then walked towards him. "It's a nice morning for a run, it's going to be a warm day today." I said to him, making light conversation as he took slow, measured breaths, sweating a little at his brow and a few drops touched his fringe as he looked down at me, rather surprised that our paths had crossed. "Do you always go running here in particular?"

"No, I just fancied a change." He answered, looking away slightly as he rubbed his head to remove the sweat. "How are you feeling? You were in a pretty bad state last time I saw you."

"I'm alright, I feel good as new but thank you for worrying. I'm sorry for causing any trouble." I told him and he looked at me as I spoke in a soft voice.

"You can't help being ill, just don't work yourself into that kind of state again. You'll make a lot of people lose focus if you're suffering in silence, it's okay for you to ask for help sometimes." Natsume told me as he folded his arms, giving me a pointed look and I couldn't help but chuckle. It was just like Natsume to call me out like this, I guess I really do try and handle everything by myself whilst refusing to ask for help, it never occurred to me just how stubborn I was.

"I'll try my best." I promised with a nod of my head before opening my eyes to him again. He said nothing more so I continued to conversation, surprised with how steadily my heart was beating. It wasn't racing at all, yet I could still feel something deep inside which seemed to latch onto Natsume. If felt extremely warm, as if just being in his presence was enough to make me infinitely happy. Perhaps what I felt for him wasn't just a crush after all, I knew that I liked him, but maybe that's now blossomed into something more than that. Something that felt like the buds on the cherry blossom trees, slowly beginning to bloom into something completely new. "I've had a response from one of the jobs I applied for, they want to interview me this Monday coming. It's a restaurant in town that tourists seem to frequent often so they were after people who could speak foreign languages and they said that I met a lot of their criteria."

"That's good, but you don't have to work you know. We'd all support you in whatever it was you needed." Natsume said to me, frowning ever so slightly. "Besides, I thought you had an allowance from your dad set up until you turned twenty one."

"Yes I do, but this is just something I want to do for myself. I'll only be working part time and the hours aren't very long, but it'll help me feel a little more independent and help towards college next spring." I answered him with sensible reasoning however I saw his jaw tighten slightly, making me tilt my head at him. "Natsu? You don't think I should be working?"

"It's not that, it's just you already work hard already. Doing the cooking for the guys and cleaning up most of their stuff and doing the washing. You try too hard sometimes, and it pisses me off a little that they take advantage of you like that." I'll admit that I was surprised, I never thought Natsume felt like this as it had never occurred to me.

"They don't use me at all, so there's no need to get so worked up about it. I'm happy doing what I do, if there was ever anything that I didn't feel like doing then I wouldn't do it and everyone at home understands that." I answered him, smiling warmly as I thought of everyone back at the condo. "Since I don't go to college and didn't have a job until recently, I used to feel very lonely being left at home mostly on my own, so that's why I started doing so many chores and helping out as much as I could. It made me feel happy to be depended on and needed by people I care about, but it also makes me happy to know that if ever I need them, everyone is there to support me too like in the last couple of days. I love the way I live right now, so me finding a job is just something else I'm doing for myself. If anything it's for my own selfish reasons to become more independent for myself, but I'm alright with that too."

For a while Natsume didn't answer, looking at me strangely until slowly his face softened and he sighed, giving me a private smile as he reached out and placed a warm hand on the top of my head. A glowing thrill expanded in my chest and I brightened slightly, gazing up at him with eyes full of emotion as he bowed his head to rest his brow against mine. I didn't even mind that he was still a little sweaty from his run. He was warm and his presence was something I yearned for, like he carried something within him that my soul called out for silently without me knowing until recently. "Selfish is definitely not a word I'd use to describe you, Rikona, so don't think about yourself that way." His words were soft and his addictive voice hummed in my ears. "Take care of yourself a little more. I don't want you getting sick again."

"You too Natsu. I hope you're eating something more than easy make noodles." I said to him with laughter in my voice, my hand brushing against his arm before together we drew back at the same time and Natsume continued on his jog, leaving me to stand there for a moment. With the inflating feeling continuing to grow in my chest I inhaled deeply to then let it out, pressing my hands against my face to feel the after effects of his touch before silently moving forwards once more.


	30. Chapter 30

When the trees finally reached full bloom everyone agreed to go and view them as a family and Wataru insisted that we took bread for the ducks. Since it was warm and very sunny, I pulled on a sundress of pure white with a halter neck top then twisted my hair into a messy bun at the back of my head. Although a few comments were received I brushed them off effortlessly, no longer embarrassed or surprised by my brothers even as some of them did a double take. "Wow big sis, you look like a princess!" Wataru complimented as he ran to me and I ruffled his hair, smiling down at him.

"Thanks little bunny. Have you got everything ready for the picnic?" I asked and walked past everyone else, ignoring their gobsmacked expressions as Wataru told me that all that was left to pack were the drinks so I fetched them from the refrigerator and made sure we had plates and cutlery as well as plastic cups. "Alright, we're all set so let's go!" Smiling excitedly I ushered everyone out the door, wanting to go and see the blossoms as they were both mine and Miwa's favourite. Hikaru had picked up a camera and was already taking photos of me in my dress so I sent him a warning look, though my mouth tilted in a smile.

"You sure look lovely, doll. Pretty as a picture!" He said to me and I chuckled nonchalantly before continuing into town. Some of the guys took the car to carry the food and drink whilst the rest of us walked. Wataru wanted to walk with me so he hopped along by my side, walking on the side of the wall so that he was as far away from the road as possible.

"I wonder if Natsume's coming, did he say that he was going to make it big sis?" Wataru asked me however I wasn't even sure myself. Masaomi had texted him about our arrangement but I did not hear his reply, so I couldn't say.

"Well we'll soon find out little bunny. Careful now, you know not to play around when next to the road." I cautioned him as he started to skip around me, taking his arm and drawing him gently away from the road as cars rushed past speedily.

"You're really good with kids Rikona. You'll definitely be a great teacher someday." Azusa said to me and I smiled gratefully to him.

"Thanks Azusa, I just like being around them. They're all endless bundles of energy and they're fun to be around, so it's never boring for me. I'm still not sure what year I should teach, as I think I could get along fairly well with both younger kids and those in middle school, we'll just have to see."

"Well, seeing as you can school both Futo and Yusuke easily enough, I don't see why you'd have any problems with teenagers either." Iori said to me in his soft toned voice. "You have a way with connecting to people and that's a great skill to have when teaching others." I was touched by his words and Subaru agreed, assuring me that I'll be sure to find my own way somehow. I was truly grateful to hear them supporting me in my dream which I had finally found for myself.

We all chatted lightly as we walked to the park before finding the others had already set things up. Much to my joy, Natsume was already there with them as was Futo. It's good that they could both come, it's nice when all the family was together. Wataru wanted to feed the ducks right away so I lifted him up and wrapped my arms around his waist, letting him lean over the edge of the railings whilst keeping a firm hold on him so that he didn't fall. "Come on duckies! Quack-quack! I have some tasty breadcrumbs for you, so come try some!" He chanted and I giggled, smiling at Wataru as he fed the ducks and when they started to realise that food was on offer they flocked towards him.

There was a light breeze that made the trees shiver softly and petals danced through the sky, silky folds brushing against my skin as Wataru fed the ducks every last crumb he had before allowing me to place him back on the ground. "That's all that I've got duckies, you'll have to wait until next time for more bread!" He said to them all, his hand holding onto my skirt for balance as he looked through the rails to smile at the ducks. "Bye duckies! I hope you enjoy the cherry blossoms too." He said sweetly before drawing back, still holding onto my skirt. "Hey big sis, the petals look really pretty in your hair."

"Huh?" Reaching up I realised that I was almost covered in petals, making me laugh as we walked back to the others side by side. "I guess they do get everywhere, don't they? I feel a little guilty that someone has to come along someday and sweep the paths clean. It must be tiring work." Wataru agreed, chatting away happily before he rushed off and grabbed Masaomi, tugging him to his feet and asked him to lift him up towards the trees. Masaomi complied, helping Wataru to reach the blossoms where he then began to pluck a few of the flowers until he had a cluster in his small fist, carefully holding them until Masaomi put him down again. By this point I had joined the conversation with the others but when Wataru came back and started to place the flowers in my hair I stopped, looking up at him before smiling. "What are you up to Wataru?"

"I'm making you a crown of flowers so that you really look like a princess, big sis. They really look pretty on you! Cherry blossoms suit you." He complimented me and I smiled further, not noticing as Hikaru snapped up a few more photos.

"Rikki doesn't need a crown to be a princess, she has that look about her no matter what she wears." Tsubaki said to Wataru though he began to help, picking up flowers that had fallen from the ground and sliding them into my hair which was swept back from my face save for the locks that framed my cheeks. "But Wataru is right, these flowers really do suit you. Pretty and delicate, they even bring out your eyes."

"I think spring might be your season, little lady." Kaname agreed and I chuckled, shaking my head carefully as Wataru continued to carefully work.

"You guys. Why don't you ever compliment each other this way? You all deserve some praises too." I reasoned, trying to shift the focus from me.

"But it's so much more fun to tease you, big sis." Futo answered simply before giving me a wink. I guess there was no winning with them on this argument, so instead I suggested that we started to eat instead. Tsubaki was immediately up for drinking some of the alcohol that we'd brought and he even persuaded me to join in, trying to challenge me drink for drink despite Louis reminding him that my tolerance for alcohol was surprisingly high.

"Kona really handles her drink well, like, I'm pretty sure she can outdrink most of us if she's in the right mood." He smiled at me and I giggled, accepting a beverage all the same. It's been a while since I last drank and it's a special occasion so why not? We all saluted our drinks before draining them, Tsubaki immediately calling for another round.

"Steady, you'll get drunk before you even start eating." Natsume warned but Tsubaki was determined to enjoy himself, pouring himself another drink which he mixed with the soda before swigging at that too. I glanced across to Natsume who pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked tired, I could see dark circles under his eyes and I wondered if he'd been having trouble sleeping. Reaching out for the fried chicken that I knew he liked, I offered it out to him with a smile as he blinked.

"You should eat something Natsu and try to relax a little. It doesn't hurt to let go every once in a while right? We're here to have fun, so be sure to join in." I said to him as he automatically reached out and took some of the chicken, making me smile further before I offered it around to everyone else. Wataru was soon running around chasing petals but we kept a close eye on him. He seemed to be full of energy today so I pulled out the ball that I'd brought with me in my bag and tossed it to Wataru, going to play catch with him.

I was glad that I'd worn bicycle shorts underneath my dress as sometimes there was a strong gust of wind that made my skirt flare or I'd be jumping up to catch the ball and I'd hate to think of what might have accidentally been showing had I not worn shorts underneath. It was a good call on my part. Wataru and I played, Subaru and Yusuke joining in soon after and we were all smiling and laughing. "Fu-Fu! Come join us!" I invited but he only yelled back dryly.

"Don't call me that! I'm not participating in your childish games." I pouted as I caught the ball, turning and throwing it at his head. I laughed when it hit, the light material only startling him as it bounced off and rolled towards Kaname who picked it up with laughter and tossed it to Wataru as Futo turned a glare on me. "Fine! I'll get you back for that one." I grinned, laughing at the entertaining expression Futo wore as I dodged out of his way and took off, calling for the ball before I then passed it to Yusuke and we all danced around Futo, keeping the ball out of his reach before finally he jumped in front of Yusuke and caught it.

It was a fun picnic and everyone seemed peaceful and happy. This was something I think we all needed with work and the new year beginning to weigh us down. When it was time to leave I helped to pack up, Wataru still playing catch with Iori and Subaru until we were ready to head home. Ukyo took the picnic basket from me with a smile, taking it back to the car and everyone began to separate depending on whether they wanted to walk or hitch a ride. "Natsume, didn't you bring your car?" Tsubaki asked but Natsume shook his head.

"I was in town anyway." He said simply as Wataru continued to run wild, circling around Natsume as I chased him.

"Wataru calm down! Jeez, at this rate I'll be chasing you all the way home just to burn off some of that energy, how much food did you eat?" I questioned him with laughter as I finally caught him around the middle, the ball still gripped in his hands. "Come on, hand the ball over so we can go. It'll be getting late soon and you have school tomorrow."

"I want to carry it! Please big sis? I won't drop it, I promise." Seeing no reason to argue I agreed, so long as he promised not to run around anymore. We ended up a fairly large party, walking in twos and threes with myself and Wataru at the back. He skipped along, still buzzing with energy and I smiled at him as he ended up pulling ahead of me slightly, hopping along the pavement over each slab and avoiding the cracks in a little game.

"Don't fool around Wataru, we're right next to the road." I warned him and he looked back at me with a cheeky grin.

"Okay!" He called back but then continued to hop, bouncing like a little bunny until suddenly he lost his balance, the ball tucked under one arm popping out of his grip and bouncing into the road. "Oh no! Come back ball!" Instantly my heart seized up in terror as my eyes flashed with fear as Wataru ran out into the road after the ball.

"WATARU!" My terrified scream made everyone whirl around and I darted forwards, seeing the heavy truck come bearing down towards Wataru as he grabbed the ball. Suddenly Natsume was streaking ahead of me, his arms scooping Wataru up and I saw everything happen all at once, a silent scream rippling in my throat. The truck blasted its horn as I continued to race forwards, my bag dropping to the ground discarded as everyone else yelled our names in equal measure of fear. All I could feel was the intense desperation to reach them as Natsume froze, head turning towards the truck as Wataru cried out in a panic, sensing everyone's unbridled fear around him.

My hands pushed outwards, slamming against Natsume with the full force that I could muster, adrenaline flaring through my body like flames as he fell out of the way with Wataru still locked tightly in his arms. After that, it all happened so fast that I couldn't even remember a lot of it. One moment I was upright and still running, the blaring sound of the truck bellowing against my eardrums as I felt a cold wave wash over my body. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground several metres away with the sensation of flying still wrapped around my body.

For a moment I stared straight ahead unable to see anything without it blurring out of focus, confused as to how I had got there until all at once the pain hit me. My body was laying at an awkward angle, my arm twisted underneath me with my head still rang with the ricocheting force of the collision. It felt like every bone in my body had been shattered, fire dancing across my skin and throughout my limbs as I felt a hot trickle slide down my face and from my back before it started gushing.

I think the shock kept me from jumping back to my feet as everything felt so surreal, almost otherworldly. A piercing ringing continued to blare in my head like a constant scream as my eyes remained wide open, glazed over and unfocused as I hardly even drew breath. Had all that really happened? It felt like just a moment ago I was walking peacefully along admiring the cherry blossoms, now I was trapped in a world where everything hurt, yet at the same time I couldn't react to it at all.

Distantly I heard voices chiming like mellow bells in my ears, their voices dancing like an echo that reverberated off the walls of a dark cave. People gathered around me, gasping and staring in horror whilst hot tears began to hit my skin as Tsubaki and the others tried to call me back to them in fearful desperation. Wataru was fighting against Subaru as Natsume came running towards me, his fierce voice being the one that I could distinguish enough to hear my name. He sounded enraged yet terrified at the same time, pushing his way forwards and yelled for no one to touch me. A number of people called for an ambulance as the truck driver yelled angrily, blaming Wataru for running out into the road whilst Yusuke turned on him, raging threateningly and Kaname had to restrain him physically to keep him from punching the truck driver.

There was so much confusion that I didn't know what to focus on, with so many people around me I could only stare off into the distance, unable to move a single muscle without it screaming in pain. In the distance I heard sirens begin to wail, rapidly approaching and the masses were eventually parted and my brothers were forced back as they yelled my name, screaming at the top of their lungs as I lay motionless, eyes wide open and seemingly faded away from this world. I don't know how much longer I stayed conscious for, however the moment the paramedics began to turn me onto my back whilst carefully supporting my head the pain spiked like the strike of lightning and I passed out from unimaginable pain.


	31. Chapter 31

There was a sterile smell to the air and although it made my nose twitch, I found that I could hardly feel a thing as my entire body was numb. It was also cold, however as I slowly opened my eyes I saw two figures standing there and looking at me with worry before slowly, they gave relieved exhales and moved closer to me. I groaned. "Dad? Mom?"

"Hey angel, it's okay. You're in hospital but everything is going to be alright. We're right here for you." Dad said to me, reaching out and placing his hand gently on my arm as I blearily looked around, struggling to focus without things shifting slightly. I guess they must have me on some pretty strong drugs. I feel as high as a kite.

"You were in an accident honey, do you remember? You were hit by a truck after you ran to push Wataru and Natsume out of the way." Miwa explained to me, jogging me memory before she started to sniff and cry, gripping her face in her hands before the sobs wracked her entire body and she fell to her knees, head burrowing itself into my bed by my waist as she gripped onto the blanket that covered my heavily bandaged body. "You saved my sons' lives! Oh Rikona…I'm so sorry this happened to you! I'm so sorry, I wish I could take this pain away from you, I'm so…so…s-sorry!" She sobbed freely and I tensed my arm, slowly lifting it up before I placed it on her head, making her look up with teary eyes to see me smiling softly at her.

"It's okay…mom…it's worth it…I love them…" I explained to her though I could hardly speak and I flinched slightly so Miwa carefully took my hand from her head and held onto it. I could see it was bandaged up whilst my other was held in a sling. As Miwa continued to sniff and stroke my hand gently as not to cause me more pain, dad leaned close to my head with his arm curled around my pillow, stroking at my hair and I relaxed into the sensation.

"You broke your left arm here in two places and several of your ribs broke also. There was also damage done to your liver, your pelvis and both your legs broke as well. There's a deep laceration from your left shoulder across your back and you sustained heavy head trauma. The doctors weren't sure how you pulled through, but you sure showed them my little angel. You've been unconscious for nearly three weeks, but you're on the mend and the doctors say that now you've pulled through the worst of it, so all you have to worry about is healing." Dad explained to me and I gave a small nod of my head. It's a miracle nothing happened to my spine or neck. If that had broke, I would have been gone. "We think because the truck managed to hit the break and was slowing down, the level of injury was decreased. By being hit full on like that, the doctors told us that you could have been killed instantly." I couldn't even think about that.

"We flew home the moment we were told you'd been taken to hospital." Miwa started to tell me, smiling as she held onto my hand. "Oh sweetie, I'm so glad you're awake now, we've all been besides ourselves with worry and my boys are distraught over what happened. They've all been coming to see you. See? They've been leaving you get well gifts every time." She gestured, smiling through her tears and I looked to where she nodded her head, moving my neck as little as possible. On the table beside the bed were vases of flowers of different kinds. Small ones, large ones, all of them beautiful and aromatic. There was even a purple bunny similar to the one Wataru carried and I smiled, murmuring softly and I pointed towards it.

Understanding what I was after Miwa let go of my hand and tucked the rabbit next to me, its soft fabric brushing against my cheek and I smiled as she returned to holding my hand tenderly. Closing my eyes I smiled again, sighing contentedly. The numbness that bound my body was deeply welcome as I lay back with my parents close to me, telling me things about their trips and doing their best to keep their voices bright, but I could hear just how thankful they were that I was awake. I agreed with them, I glad I didn't die. Though, I think everyone would feel the same in my situation.

"Oh! Little miss cherry blossom is awake!" A nurse gasped with a smile as she approached, beaming down at me with her clipboard in hand. "Hello there, I'm so glad to see you awake, you're a real tough cookie!" Arching an eyebrow slightly in confusion she giggled. "Oh I'm sorry, but we nurses have taken to calling you 'little miss cherry blossom', because when you came in you had blossom flowers and petals all in your hair and even though you were badly bruised, you looked so pretty. I hope you don't mind." In answer I gave a smile, unable to shake my head for weariness. She called for a doctor to make checks on me and I let them do whatever they needed until they went away.

The nurses carefully helped to prop me up so that I was sitting in an upright position with plenty of support for my back and I thanked them, my voice returning a little. Dad went to call the others and tell them that I was awake whilst Miwa perched herself on the bed next to me and started to brush through my hair, lovingly and carefully straightening out any tangles though to my understanding, she had brushed my hair every day when she came to visit. I leaned against her, resting my head against her shoulder and she smelled so wonderful and sweet that I couldn't help but smile. "It's alright now Rikona my sweet, you'll be home soon and I'm taking time off work to look after you. I know it would feel awkward if any of the boys were to help you with things like going to the bathroom and changing, so you just leave everything to me." Miwa said and I almost cried in gratitude. "I'm going to be a proper mom and nurse you back to full health and I won't leave your side until you're ready to let go of my hand."

"I love you mom." I whispered and she squeaked, hand jumping to her mouth before suddenly beginning to bawl, hugging me as tightly as she dared whilst wailing over and over that she loved me too. Dad chuckled at the scene, shaking his head before holding us both in his arms and I snuggled into their warm embraces, feeling as content as I could be. Neither of them left my side at all, however barely fifteen minutes later the door opened and Kaname appeared with Tsubaki and Azusa, all of them staring at me before they all smiled in relief.

"Rikki! It's so good to see you sitting upright like that, how do you feel? Are you in any pain?" Tsubaki fussed, making to rush to my side however Azusa thumped him on the head, making me giggle to see such a familiar interaction.

"Be gentle with her Tsubaki, can't you see that she's obviously still recovering?" Azusa shook his head as Tsubaki complained, rubbing his head however Miwa then rounded on them both, telling them to not cause such a ruckus in a hospital and when I was needing a peaceful and calm atmosphere in order to recover properly. As she gave them a lecture, Kaname came to my side and pushed back my hair, tucking it behind my ear as he inspected the bruising on my face.

"Such colours suit you wonderfully, little sis, however I'll be much happier when I see you back on your own feet and out of this draining place." He said to me and I smiled, reaching up to touch his face with a sisterly love in my eyes, making his face drop slightly as I smiled.

"It's good to see you too Kaname." I told him honestly, brushing my thumb against his face as I felt comforted by the familiarity of their presences. "You too Tsubaki, Azusa, I've missed you all."

"We've missed you too, Rikona. It's not the same back home without you anymore." Azusa responded as he and Tsubaki came to my side also, crowding close as they stood either side of me, Kaname stepping back to give me more space though they all smiled at me with their own affections.

"That's right, everything feels dull and without you there to kick Futo and Yusuke into shape they've been at each other's throats just like before, and Wataru refuses to take his baths anymore." Tsubaki agreed as he took my hand gently. "So you have to get better real soon, otherwise everything might just fall apart unless you're there to keep us all in line."

"I'll keep that in mind Tsubaki. I'll do my best to get better as fast as I can." I promised them and they smiled, both moving closer at the same time before they kissed either cheek simultaneously, taking me slightly by surprise before I relaxed into their touch, smiling as they pulled away. "It'll be nice to go home. It feels strange not being there with you all." Miwa and dad stood together, Miwa leaning against his chest as they both watched us with gentle glows. I assured them that I would be alright for a while if they wanted to get food and have a rest, Tsubaki and Azusa promising not to leave me on my own as Kaname also agreed to stay with me.

"Here little lady, we brought along a few of your things. We figured that now that you're bright eyed and bushy tailed, you'd want something to do to entertain yourself." Kaname said as he lifted up a bag and I brightened as he pulled out some of my books and even a portable movie player with a selection of my DVDs to watch.

"Thanks you guys, you're the best." I cheered and Kaname set them up on my table for me within reaching distance. It appeared that I was in a private ward with the curtains drawn around me, so I asked Tsubaki to pull them back so I could see around. They kept me company, answering my questions and we easily fell into conversation, my voice breaking occasionally until Azusa brought me some water and Kaname went to search for someone to bring me food as my stomach was betraying my hunger with monstrous growls. "So what happened after the accident? I don't really remember much at all. It all happened so fast."

Tsubaki and Azusa glanced at one another before looking back at me, their faces both creased with hurt at the memory. "Well, we turned around in time to see Wataru running into the road and Natsume already running after him. To be honest it was over before I could even call out their names, but then you were suddenly there and the truck just knocked you aside like a baseball bat." Tsubaki admitted as I blinked, listening carefully as Azusa then continued.

"We were all in a panic, for a while we couldn't see you where you'd been hit but then we found you further down the road. You'd been knocked pretty far." He explained whilst pushing his glasses further up his nose, managing to keep his voice more controlled than his twin brother. "You were all twisted at impossible angles and your eyes were just staring that for a moment we feared the worst, but your hand was twitching so we figured that you were still alive and breathing. It wasn't something any of us wanted to see, it really scared us all to the core. You were just…lifeless." I felt guilty, flinching slightly and I looked down, not knowing what to say.

"But hey that's all over now so there's no need to be upset, right?" Tsubaki reasoned and I nodded, beginning to feel some of the numbness ebb away. I was stiff all over and I couldn't move very well, but when the sensation of pain began to return I clung to it firmly as it was a confirmation to myself that I really was alive and this wasn't just a dream in the afterlife. "Our cute little sister is a hero and when you're better, we're going to spoil you rotten until your teeth fall out and you're sick to death of us."

"I could never grow sick of any of you, you guys all mean the world to me." I protested gently as Kaname returned with a blushing nurse who carried a tray of food, her eyes continuously glancing to Kaname and I didn't have to guess that he'd worked his charm on her already.

"Here you go blossom, if there's anything you need then don't hesitate to push the button and one of us will come running. You're very lucky you know, you have so many handsome brothers who care very much for their sister." She said to me, fluttering her lashes at Kaname before continuing with her work. I waited until she was gone before I chuckled, wagging my finger at Kaname as Tsubaki kindly moved my purple rabbit to perch on my shoulder as Azusa held the tray to place it over me in bed after pulling the table up from the side.

"Kaname, you shouldn't be distracting the nurses whilst they're working, they have very important jobs you know." I scolded him but Kaname only smiled further.

"Of course they do, they're in charge of looking after our favourite sister." Giving a light laugh I looked down at my food then to my right hand, picking up the fork and slowly began to work my way through the meal, however whenever I needed something cutting one of the three would do it for me, Kaname even insisted on holding the fork for me and placing the food in my mouth though I insisted that I wasn't _that_ crippled. He teased me and I laughed, though laughing too hard did make my ribs hurt and I flinched, touching them gingerly.

"Do you need more painkillers? I'm sure we can ask someone." Azusa offered by I shook my head.

"The pain isn't too bad, I just shouldn't laugh too much." I said a little breathlessly from where I was short on breath, unable to breathe deeply. "And I don't particularly like feeling so numb when my mind is fully awake, it's almost like being weightless." And it reminded me of the sensation of falling, something I did not like to reflect on.

"If you change your mind just let us know, we'll get you anything you want Rikki so don't hesitate to ask for a single thing." Tsubaki told me firmly with a smile, beaming positively to keep me in a cheerful mood. Eventually I thought to ask for the time and date and I was surprised that so much time really had passed. I had no memory of it at all, though Kaname assured me that whenever they came they talked to me and the twins even said that they had continued to practice their lines with me listening to them unconsciously. It made me smile, they cared so much for me, I couldn't help but feel like the most blessed woman in the world.

After a while the door opened again and Masaomi glanced around as he stepped inside, dressed in his doctor's coat before he saw us on the other side of the room next to the window. "So our sleeping beauty is awake, that's a really good sign. I'm on break for the moment so I came on over to see how you were doing." Masaomi explained as he came to my bed then reached forwards, kissing the top of my head in greeting. "You're looking great, does anything hurt particularly bad?"

"Only my ribs when I try to breathe too deep or laugh, but dad told me that I'd broken a few so it's too be expected." I began as I smiled at him in greeting before I allowed my sensations to wash over me. "My arm is a little sore and I can feel the swelling from the bruising. I can't move my hips at all without it feeling stiff and awkward and my legs feel completely numb still from the morphine. Apart from the slight itching on my back, nothing else feels out of place." I listed off to him extensively before touching my head where it was still bandaged up with a heavy dressing where I'd scraped off the skin and gashed it from hitting the road.

"That's good, all perfectly normal signs." Masaomi sighed with relief, glancing over my file to see what the doctors had done for me so far and what kind of drugs I was on. "It goes without saying but try to move as little as possible, that way you won't upset anything and your body will be able to heal naturally. We're doing all we can to speed your recovery, I've asked the team here to keep me posted on your condition since the moment you arrived."

"Thank you Masaomi, I really appreciate it." Leaning back against my pillows I suddenly felt very tired, worn out from so much excitement even though I'd been awake only a couple of hours. "How long do you think it'll take before I can be released?"

"Not for a while yet, I'm afraid. But don't worry, we'll make sure that you're never left alone."

"That's right, we've been taking it in turns to keep you company whilst you were sleeping and we'll keep on doing the same now that you're awake." Tsubaki assured me, brushing aside my hair as my eyes began to slide closed, my vision filled with their faces as they all looked down at me with kindness and understanding. "Just don't slip away from us again, little Rikki, otherwise you'll have a host of brothers coming to drag you back from limbo."

"Don't worry…I'm not going anywhere." I said heavily, blinking as my eyes continued to slide shut and my head turned as my body went lax, falling back into slumber. "Doctor's…orders…"


	32. Chapter 32

"Hey Rikki! We got here as soon as we could, thank god you're okay!" Yusuke's loud voice made me jolt slightly and I turned my head from looking out the window to see him streaking across the room towards me, Ukyo, Subaru and Louis following with various gifts and cards. I smiled warmly, glad to see them all. Kaname had to leave for his job and both Tsubaki and Azusa also were pulled away for a recording session, but they refused to leave until they were sure someone else was coming, which happened to be these guys. Although I'd slept for a couple of hours, the guys hadn't moved a muscle and stayed with me even when I woke back up again and I told them that I was really glad that I didn't have to wake up alone. Miwa and dad had gone home to get some sleep at my orders, but I was glad everyone else was taking time out of their day to come and see me.

"Not so loud Suke, people will be able to hear you from the next hospital." I giggled as he reached my side and instantly pressed his forehead into mine, hands holding my face delicately as he exhaled deeply before then pulling back a little.

"Sorry, it's just I've been waiting to see you all day. I got the text when I was in the middle of class but everyone told me I had to finish school first." He complained as the others reached the bed. With a smile I reached across with my good arm and ruffled his hair, making him blush slightly but I continued anyway.

"You're so cute Suke, but everyone's right. School's important and I'm not moving very far, so there's no need to rush." Pulling back my hand I looked to everyone else. "Hey guys, how have your days been? I'm sorry it's been a few weeks since I checked up on everyone, I'll do better from now on." I said with mirth and they all relaxed around me, gentle faces gleaming with flickering warmth as Subaru, who stood closest on my other side, reached out and also held me in a one armed hug, trying to touch my injured body as little as possible but still wanting to express his relief.

"It's good to see you smiling like that again Rikki." He said to me honestly.

"It feels like forever since we've seen you smile like that, Kona, we're all like, super happy that you're out of the forest." Louis said before opening his bag which he placed at the bottom of my bed before pulling out combs and brushes. "I brought stuff with me to do your hair, I thought a change would make you feel better."

"Thanks Louis, that's a wonderful idea." I agreed and Subaru moved back to allow Louis to start on my hair, brushing through it and beginning to use one of the combs to separate it into sections. The sensation of someone playing my hair was deeply comforting and I allowed the sensation to distract me from any pain I might be feeling.

"There's a few more things for you here, Rikona. Just snacks and things you like to eat, I thought a few home comforts would be preferable to the canteen meals here." Ukyo said and suddenly there were boxes of chocolates, puddings and almost all of my favourite foods, making me giggle as Yusuke's stomach started to rumble.

"I'd be happy to share with you guys, it's been a while since we've all had food together so I'd really like that." I offered and they indulged me a little, sharing as I picked up a selection of chocolates from the box and savoured each taste. Apparently I'd lost weight since being in hospital as they had had to keep me on a drip and feeding me had been a little difficult, but they had did their best to keep me from losing too much and Ukyo insisted that I should begin eating enough to return back to a healthy weight. As we ate, I noticed Subaru was wearing a different basketball team sweater, making me realise that he must have already gone off to play professionally with a new team. "Hey Subaru, shouldn't you be out of town with your team? Won't they be annoyed if you're not there to practice?"

"It's okay, when Masaomi called to tell me you'd woken up, I got permission from the coach to take two days off and I flew back over. I told him about your accident and he was pretty sympathetic, though he said I'd better come back with a clear head ready to make up for lost time." He said to me, giving a smile which I returned.

"Tell your coach that I appreciate his understanding, I'll be sure to come and see one of your games the moment I'm better, though I'm still a big Meiji university fan!" Subaru chuckled richly as Louis's hands lowered from my hair, drawing back to give me a sweet grin.

"All finished, here, take a look." He pulled out a mirror for me to see my reflection and for a moment, I was shocked. This was the first time I'd seen my face since the accident and the sheer number of bruises that marked my skin was a shock, even though they had paled considerably from what they had first appeared like. I barely even recognised myself and I think the shock registered as Louis placed his hand on my shoulder. "It's alright, you're still beautiful to all of us Kona, it's just going to take a little time to heal, right?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I just didn't know how bad it looked until now." I responded slowly before I shook my head and turned my attention towards my hair. Louis had braided a plait around my head, gathering my hair with a few strands falling free to frame my cheeks and I could feel it curl at the back of my neck before he'd tied it off at my other shoulder, using a flowery bobble which sat cutely just under my ear. "I feel a hundred times better already, thank you Louis."

"No sweat Kona." He smiled at me before packing his stuff away.

"It's all well and good you being awake now, but I'm still pissed Kaname didn't let me deck that trucker guy. Mouthing off about things he had no right to say, it really ticks me off." Yusuke said, growling in the corner so I picked up a chocolate and shoved it in his mouth, smiling with laughter as he instinctively started to chew.

"Don't be so intense Suke, each more chocolate and you'll feel way better." I teased him though Ukyo gave a sombre hum of thought.

"Yusuke does have a point. According to eye witness accounts, that driver had actually run a red light and was driving well past the speed limit. Also, it appears that his test results came back showing a portion of alcohol in his body, suggesting he was intoxicated." Ukyo informed me, making me blink in surprise. "We're already taking him and his company to court and things are looking like they'll be successful. They really don't have any defence, though they are trying to argue that pedestrians did not have any right of way on the road, though by luck you happened to be close to a pedestrian crossing so the argument stands that the driver should have been aware and prepared to stop immediately considering his surroundings."

"I didn't know you were taking this to court Ukyo, it was just an accident." I said, feeling guilty for causing him more work. "I'm not looking for any compensation, I'm just happy that everyone was alright in the end."

"But you're not alright Rikki! You could have died and that's just not something I'm willing to accept!" Yusuke argued hotly, voice raising a little. "I'm not going to be satisfied until I either get to beat up that bastard myself or we sue his company for everything they own. You're our sister and we're not about to let them get away with this."

"Suke…calm down…" I soothed, reaching out and touching his hand so he took deep breaths to slowly let out his anger. "Is this true though? You're really taking the company he works for to court on my behalf?" Everyone nodded their head.

"They actually started on you first." Subaru supplied softly, leaning against the desk next to my bed casually. "Apparently when you collided with the truck, there was some damage done to the front. A dent or something, they tried to claim compensation on you but none of us were having that, so Ukyo here has taken control of the legal side of things." He explained and I looked to Ukyo who nodded his head, giving me a soft smile.

"You don't have to worry about anything, hopefully this will all be over with soon and we can get back to our lives just like before." He assured me so I exhaled, letting everything sink in a moment before I lifted my head again.

"How's Wataru doing? Kaname told me that he's been a bit of a handful for a while. He must be feeling extremely upset over what happened." A few heads nodded sadly as Louis expressed the situation to me in detail.

"He refused to eat for a while and he's been getting real angry at everyone over the smallest of things. I think he just really misses you, Kona."

"Yeah, he's being more stubborn than usual, not even Masaomi can calm him down when he's in a rage." Subaru agreed and I felt my heart wilt a little. Poor Wataru, he must feel guilty about what happened. I'll make sure to tell him that everything was okay when I see him.

"We've even had calls from his school. If anything it's worse there. He refuses to do his work and even getting into fights with other kids. He's been sent home a few times but he's just not listening to anything we have to say." Something didn't feel right. Everyone was glancing at one another and I could feel the tension in the air, making me frown slightly before speaking up.

"Guys, why didn't you bring Wataru with you? School has finished for today, right?" They didn't answer, swallowing nervously and looking away as my eyes slowly narrowed and my face grew stern, demanding to know what was wrong. "Where. Is. Wataru."

"Rikki…we can't find him." Yusuke told me and instantly I felt a flash of fear rise through me as Yusuke touched my arm carefully. "Ukyo went to get him from school and tell him the news that you'd woken up, but Wataru wasn't there. He's disappeared."

"He ran away?!" My hand jumped to my mouth and for a moment, I felt extremely useless. Wataru was out there all on his own, a little kid like him was an easy target for a number of people. He has to be found and quickly, so I steeled my resolve and took a deep breath. "If I know Wataru, there are several places he'll go to in this sort of frame of mind. Check the big toy store in the centre of town, as well as the park where we had our picnic, the place where we went ice skating, his favourite pancake house and also get people to search the train station at the platform that will bring him close to the hospital, he'll be in one of those places, I _know_ it." Looking at them desperately, Ukyo nodded his head and started to send out the message as Subaru and Yusuke placed their hands on my shoulders. "Please find him, he's too young to be out on his own!"

"We'll find him Kona, don't you worry. We've already got people out searching, he couldn't have gone far." Louis soothed me and I forced myself to calm down. Getting worked up like this was not going to help anyone, so I have to remain focused. "I'll go check the park and if I find him, I'll bring him right back here, okay Kona?" Nodding my head, Louis gave my hand a little squeeze before he drifted away, disappearing through the door as Yusuke stood upright.

"I'll go looking in town, call me if someone else finds him." Yusuke gave me a confident nod before he too dashed away, leaving me with Ukyo and Subaru.

"We're going to find him Rikki, he's only been gone a few hours so there's no way he's gotten far. He's pulled stunts like this before once or twice when he got really mad about something, he's just not turning up in his usual places this time." Subaru comforted me and I dipped my head slightly, smiling affectionately as I thought about Wataru.

"He's blaming himself for what happened, so I think he'll naturally go to a place where he and I spent time together. Those are the main ones, I don't think he'll be able to get anywhere else on his own as he might not remember the way. I'll place my bets he'll be at the park, trying to talk to the ducks." Feeling a little better, I tried to contain the gnawing sensation inside that continued to worry about Wataru. He's been through a lot so I don't blame him for acting this way, but it wasn't entirely fair of him to place his anger and distress on other people.

We waited for news for over an hour, Ukyo keeping in contact with everyone else who was out searching. Subaru cleared away the remains of our feast, placing anything that hadn't been touched in my closet beside my bed whilst I asked him questions about his new team and apartment, making sure that he was comfortable and making him write down his new address so that I could send him care packages every now and then to help keep him afloat. It was almost two hours later when suddenly, the door burst open and my eyes shot across in alarm to see a bundle of limbs and tears come racing forwards with arms outstretched. "Big sis! I'm so sorry!"

"Wataru!" I almost cried with him, happy to see that he'd been found as Louis wandered in after him, smiling contentedly. Wataru reached the bed and was instantly starting to try and climb up but Ukyo was quick to catch his waist, stopping him from jarring me as I reached forwards and cupped his small cheeks. "Oh Wataru, have you been misbehaving? You should know better than to make things difficult for your brothers, what am I going to do with you?" He could hardly speak he was bawling so much so I gave a nod to Ukyo to let him go and I carefully guided Wataru to lay against my chest, tucking him against my good side so that he didn't cause any pain. "It's alright now little bunny, I'm here. You go ahead and cry all you need and snuggle all you want, I'm sorry for staying asleep for so long." I soothed him with a soft voice, hand brushing over his hair as everyone watched on with silent smiles.

Wataru sobbed into me, gripping onto my hospital gown as his head buried into my chest, body trembling violently as he relented all of his pain, confusion and guilt into me. Several people looked up in surprise, alarmed by the loud wailing but did not interrupt as Ukyo pulled the curtains closed around us so that we had some privacy. "Come on little bunny, are you really going to make me start crying too? I want to see you smiling again, that'll make me really happy." Slowly I coaxed him to lift his head, drying his eyes as he sniffed before finally, he looked at me.

"I'm sorry big sis, you're hurt and it's all my fault. I promise I'll make it up to you! I'll do everything around the house, all your chores and I'll make sure to feed you all your favourite foods and you can snuggle with all of my toys, I don't mind! Just please don't leave me ever again!" He begged, getting a little worked up so I kissed his forehead, making him go instantly quiet whilst my arm curled around him and held him close.

"I was never going to leave you little bunny. It's like you said about me looking like a princess, remember? Maybe I just needed to sleep a little while until my prince came to come rescue me. You're a little late, prince charming, but that's okay. I forgive you." I reassured him, tickling his waist and finally he began to laugh, smiling at me but refused to leave my side, curling up next to me and I held him in the grove of my shoulder as his eyes began to slide shut after a while, exhausted from crying and the release of emotions that he'd experienced in such a short amount of time.


	33. Chapter 33

Wataru was upset when he had to leave but after I gave him a small talking to, he promised that he'd behave himself from now on and would come back tomorrow after school to see me. I had fallen asleep after the others had left, Louis remaining behind to keep me company. He even fell asleep in his chair and I awoke in the night when my dad came back, feeling him kiss the side of my head before he too sat next to me.

By morning, Miwa had restored her energy and came back to the hospital as well, shooing away the men in order to help me wash a little as the nurses changed my sheets. I was a little embarrassed at first but they told me that they saw lots of different people every day, so I shouldn't be so shy at all and Miwa made me feel so naturally comfortable that I adjusted to it. She even brought over a really light and comfortable nightgown for me, removing the hospital garb and helping me change into the rosy pink nightdress that tied with a ribbon under my bust with little cap sleeves. "I thought it would look cute on you, you look so lovely." Miwa said as she brushed through my hair as it had become a little messy after sleeping on it.

She had taken out Louis's hairstyle but he had promised to do my hair again for me each time he visited, so for now Miwa simply braided it over my shoulder and used the flowery bobble to tie it off at the end. "There, my beautiful cherry blossom." I smiled, liking the pet name she'd given me. After washing and changing, I felt extremely refreshed and more comfortable. They had even been able to take the cast off my arm, taking me away to have an x-ray and see how I was healing. The bones were still mending however the surgeons had done a wonderful job fixing everything, they'd even saved my liver. I had a few scars now from surgery, even across my chest where they'd had to fix my ribs and stop them from puncturing my lungs, but I was fine with a little scarring so long as I made a full recovery.

Dad and Miwa kept me company from then on, though after lunch Hikaru arrived with Iori and Futo. Hikaru breezed in like a breath of fresh air, glamorous and full of energy as always. "Why, don't you look like such a doll? Really honey you sure know how to keep us all on our toes." Hikaru said brightly, striding forwards before kissing my cheek in a quick peck.

"Hey Hikaru, Iori, Futo, how are you all?" I asked as the all came and gathered around.

"Better now that you're awake." Iori said, lifting the flowers he brought for me, sunflowers. "I thought they'd cheer you up a little." I smiled, thanking him as he placed them with the rest of my flowers. He must have brought flowers often and had chosen them very carefully, as the scents were not overwhelming but simply fragrant, and all were pretty to look at.

"Just typical of you, getting yourself all beaten up then staying unconscious for weeks on end. You didn't have to do all that just to get my attention, you know." Futo started, trying to act in his usual tough manner but I only reached out and pinched his cheek teasingly.

"I know you were worried about me Fu-Fu. Did you cry for me at all? I bet you did, you little softie." He protested, kicking up a fuss but I continued to pester him, enjoying teasing him a little and Miwa giggled as she watched us all interact. It was quite blissful, seeing everyone in turn. I'm a little glad they didn't come all at once otherwise I would have struggled to keep up with everyone and I think they knew that, so they were each taking their time and trying to make sure that I had everything I wanted. All the same, I couldn't help but notice that Natsume hadn't come to see me yet. I felt sorely disappointed and a little hurt. I missed him, I really wanted to see him.

"Just so you know doll, I contacted that place where you got your job offer and told them what happened." Hikaru said to me and instantly my eyes widened. I had completely forgotten about my interview! Oh no, now I'll have to look elsewhere. "I pulled a little of my charm and the manager agreed to interview you after you recover, he's actually quite insistent that you join the team and is quite positive you'll get the job. After all doll, you never told us you could speak three different languages fluently as well as Japanese!" I blushed slightly giving a little laugh.

"I had a lot of free time to study and I found languages interesting." I admitted and Iori smiled at me richly.

"You really are clever Rikona, someday children are going to be very lucky to have you teaching them everything that you know." He said and I thanked him. Futo was a little quiet, looking intently at the floor with his arms folded across his chest so I reached up and started to fondle his hair, wanting to comfort him from the distress that I could sense he was feeling. After a while he relaxed a little, giving me a quick look before he reached up and took my hand, holding it in his securely. After a while I began to realise something was missing, so when I looked down at my chest I saw that Miwa's necklace was gone.

"Mom? I didn't lose my necklace in the accident did I? Please tell me it wasn't lost." Miwa stood up when I called out to her and came forwards, smiling a little sympathetically.

"Well honey, your necklace it fine but it lost the stone and it got a little scratched up. It's right here, I've been keeping it safe for you." Miwa informed me as she reached into her purse and drew out a slim box which contained my necklace and she drew it out to show me. "I got the stone replaced but I didn't know whether you'd want a new one altogether since it's been damaged." The heart glinted at me as I reached out for it, brushing my fingers over the smooth silver which had been scratched up on one side.

"No, it's a very important necklace to me. I'll keep it just as it is because there's nothing wrong with it at all." I decided and Miwa smiled before helping me to place it back around my neck where it easily fell into place and although the metal was cold at first, it quickly warmed. She sat by my side as we all talked, but eventually the others had to leave and dad also was drawn away with several calls demanding him to return to his job travelling. "Dad, it's okay." I said to him softly as he tried to argue. "I know your job is important to you as much as I am, but I'm safe now and I have so many people here to look after me. I'll be fine, so there's no need for you to worry anymore." He smiled at me sadly before kissing my head.

"I know angel, I just don't want to leave your side right now."

"I know dad. But you found me a perfect family to watch over me when you're not able to be here yourself. Your work is important to a great many people, so don't let me be an excuse to let them down, I'd hate to bear that responsibility." His eyes gazed into mine for a while longer before he chuckled, ruffling my hair lightly.

"You always did have a way with words, angel. Alright, since you put it in such a way, I guess I can leave my precious little girl in such capable hands." He agreed before returning to his call, informing his clients that he'd be returning to his travels in two days' time. I sighed contentedly, leaning back and looked across to Miwa who smiled at me warmly, patting my hand affectionately before going to organise her things be brought back to the apartment complex so that she could be ready to move in once I was released from hospital. For now, I was content to just lay back and rest, closing my eyes and listening to the sound of my father and newfound mother until they lulled me to sleep.


	34. Chapter 34

I awoke when I heard someone crying. It was quiet but rather pitiful, making me blink myself awake before I shifted and pushed myself into a more upright position to take a look. "Natsu?" I instantly recognised him even though it was dark and only a sliver of moonlight entered the room, but I was certain it was him. The moment I spoke his name he lifted his face and confirmed my guess but before I could ask him why he was crying he had flown towards me from where he had been crying against the bed over my hand and gripped onto the back rail of the bed, enshrouding me completely as his lips crashed against my own.

He kissed me with a bruising passion which completely threw my mind into a spin, the bleeps on the monitor going crazy as Natsume pressed me deeply into my pillows at the force of his kiss. Was I dreaming? I can't be, this felt all too real. I could even taste the cigarettes on his breath though thankfully there was no alcohol, at least he hadn't been drinking. Almost hours seemed to fly by as Natsume continued kissing me passionately as I squeaked and mumbled against him, trying to move and push him back but I was still weak and feeble however when I gave a pained gasp Natsume immediately pulled back. "I'm sorry. Forgive me I just…I'm just so glad to see you're awake."

"I've been awake for a while you know." I stuttered slightly as I rubbed my mouth as it still felt the slippery texture of his smooth tongue and I blushed deeply, flustered and a little excited by such a mature kiss.

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." He said to me with a tone of heart breaking shame and grief. "I just couldn't face you for a while, I was too ashamed." That Natsume, always blaming himself for things. With a sigh I reached out in the darkness and found his hand with my least injured one, taking his fingers and giving them a squeeze.

"Don't blame yourself you idiot, the only person at fault was the driver of that truck for going so fast and not stopping when he should have. I'm alive and I'll make a full recovery. That's enough, right?" Natsume seized my hand with his and held it against his lips and causing my heart to flutter as he nuzzled my fingers with the most delicate and lightest of touches.

"I couldn't face seeing you so broken and lifeless, it was torture. Rikona, don't ever make me feel this way again." Natsume said to me before coming closer to me, brushing back my hair and kissing my head. "I missed you. Please don't leave me ever again."

"Natsu…what's gotten into you?" I stammered with embarrassment as he continued to kiss me across my head and face.

"I said I missed you, didn't I? Now I'm reacquainting myself with your beautiful face and body." He told me softly before he then dropped his head to my neck and kissed me at the most tender part of my neck, making me gasp and squirm slightly as he pulled aside my nightgown and revealed more of my collarbone to suck upon my flesh.

"N-Natsu…Natsume…you're acting all weird, stop it! You're going to leave a mark!" I whispered hurriedly as I continued to blush deeper and deeper whilst feeling the heat flare at the pit of my stomach and my body naturally react to his attentions. "Someone might walk in, they'll see! Natsume!"

"I don't care." He declared as his fingers caressed my hair and face. All the while he was careful of my injuries, taking care not to disturb them and I could almost forget the dull throbbing pain all across my body as his lips massaged into my skin. "Your skin is so soft." As his hot breath warmed my skin I inhaled slowly, tilting back my head to momentarily enjoy the sensation before I reached out and grasped a fistful of his hair and tugged, giving him a stern glare.

"Natsume stop it right now! Behave yourself!" Scolding him harshly he hissed, wincing at the painful tug before I let him go and he rubbed his head.

"Okay, okay, I'll behave." He promised before taking the seat next to my bed and leaned against his folded arms whilst gazing at me. "But I'm forewarning you now, the moment you're up and walking about like normal and all of your injuries are healed I'm not going to hold back. I'll do to you everything that I've been planning and dreaming ever since I saw you in that pretty dress." My cheeks flushed once more at his promise and as the moonlight lit up the room I saw his eyes gleaming hungrily at me, rather fierce and thrilling at the same time.

"What…what are you saying Natsume? You're not making any sense." I feigned ignorance, holding my hand against my mouth in self defence in case he tried something again. "B-Besides it's the middle of the night, you should be asleep by now."

"Couldn't sleep." He shrugged, fingers tracing against my arm and my skin tingled at his touch. "And I wanted to see you whilst no one else was here so that they didn't ask questions." A slow smirk crept upon his face as he observed me with a simmering hunger in his eyes. "I've wanted you for a long time now Rikona, so hurry up and get better because I'm not going to be patient anymore."

"You can't just tell me things like that and expect me to comply!" I answered back haughtily and turned my face. "Besides, who said I even liked you that way? For all you know I could be in love with someone else." I didn't hear or see him move however I suddenly had his hand gripping my face and turning it to face him where he was dangerously close, eyes still gleaming with desire.

"You didn't exactly complain the first time I kissed you." He said to me and his smirk deepened. "You even said that you wouldn't do stuff like that whilst I was drunk." Instantly my eyes widened in the rush of realisation. "That's right. I may have been drunk but I had sobered up a bit by then, so I can remember everything. You liked it when I touched you, the face you made was so lewd it was intoxicating. I want to see it again." He had remembered? Why didn't he say anything? Was it to save me the embarrassment? "So don't go trying to mislead me Rikona, I know you like me, that you want me. Don't worry, I'll make sure to satisfy you in every way I can."

"Natsu…me…" I could barely speak however my soft whisper seemed to have tipped him over the edge as Natsume leaned down and claimed my mouth again though with more gentleness this time, softly manipulating my lips with his until I had relaxed back against the pillows with him leaning over me. I don't know how long that kissed lasted but when he pulled away it felt like I was resurfacing for air and I sucked in a deep breath, regaining my senses before shaking my head. "I'm not…I'm not just going to fall over for you Natsume." I told him with a heavy blush as I looked away. "I don't want to be someone to distract you or waste time with. If that's all you're after then I want nothing to do with it."

"Look at me Rikona." Since he asked in such a nice tone I humoured him, turning my face to look back at him whereby he sat down on the bed next to me then placing an arm around my back to draw me in gently against him whilst his lips pressed against the crown of my head. "You were never in any way shape or form a distraction. I have genuine feelings for you and they push me to the boundaries of my sanity." He told me sincerely and my heart almost leaped out of my chest. "I feel as though if I can't touch you then I will go mad inside my own head. I want to form a life with you, Rikona, so don't doubt me in this. Please, entrust me with everything that you have. Your heart, your soul and your body." His honest and blunt words made my insides flutter madly until I managed to take a breath and lean against him with a smile of happiness.

"Alright. I'll be in your care, Natsu." He held me like that for a good long while before he laid me back down and told me to go to sleep, wanting me to rest and recover properly and he held my hand through the night, not leaving my side until the morning where he had to go to work but he promised to visit me again. With all my family coming and going so often I never felt lonely in that hospital and several weeks later when I was recovered enough to return home with crutches and a wheelchair, Miwa was there helping me.

She helped me to bathe and get changed as my arm and leg were still badly injured and needed more time, however after a while I didn't get embarrassed anymore, even when she had to help me get to the bathroom. I think she enjoyed being back with her sons also, joining in with the cooking and making sure everyone behaved themselves. Despite the fact that everyone was busy with their lives, my brothers continually came back to see how I was getting on. Even Futo made time in his busy schedule to drop back home even if it meant getting another flight that same evening. I told them all not to worry so much but they did anyway, it was their way of showing their love so I smiled and focused on getting better in order to be useful to them once more.

Once I had made a full recovery Miwa returned to work after insisting that I call her even if I felt the slightest twinge. It had been a week or so since the casts had come off and my body actually felt stronger than before. Because of the excellent care of everyone around me and the gentle exercise I had not lost any muscle tone or body fat so I was a picture of health. My brothers held a celebration party and we all laughed and ate and later, once the younger ones had gone to bed, we drank.

"Here's to our favourite sister!" Kaname grinned whilst saluting his drink, a little red faced from the alcohol. "May she always be as healthy and happy as she is now!" Everyone saluted with a cheer before downing their drinks, making me laugh as they all looked rather intoxicated and drunk. Tsubaki was arguing with the plant and Hikaru had already passed out. Maybe they had all had a bit _too_ much to drink, but I'm glad that they're happy. When the clock chimed the time I suggested that we called it a night and helped get everyone to bed, the more sober of us practically dragging the drunks away.

"I'll handle Kaname, Rikona, you should get some rest." Iori said to me sweetly as he pulled his brother's arm over his shoulder. "We're all so glad that you're back to your old self, we've missed having you around."

"Thank you Iori that's so sweet." I smiled to him before helping Ukyo and Masaomi clear up a bit before we all went to sleep. I slept in a little the next day but woke up in time to clean up after breakfast and take Wataru to school, my little brother skipping along happily whilst holding my hand as he told me all about the pranks his friend pulls. "Little bunny you shouldn't go along with those kind of pranks, they're not very nice." I said to him and he blinked up at me.

"They're not?"

"No, if you make someone cry then it means you've gone too far and making a girl cry is especially unkind." I told him though I smiled and crouched down to his height, rubbing his head. "Think of it this way little bunny, would you like it if anyone made me cry?"

"No not at all!" He answered immediately with winsome orbs so I chuckled and stood upright, taking his hand again to continue walking.

"Well then, you should treat every girl nicely and respect them, they'll like you a lot more if you do and you should tell the other boys to do the same. So don't get involved with any more of these pranks, Wataru, it's definitely not nice to go looking under a girl's skirts." Wataru promised me that he would behave and do better so with a smile and a kiss I told him that I loved him before waving him off at the gate, watching him run into school and I made sure he was safely inside before turning and heading back home. It was rather surreal being out and about again considering only a few weeks ago I was lying on a hospital bed.

Nostalgically I rubbed my arm and pressed a hand over my collarbone, shuddering slightly as I remembered all that pain. Most of it was forgotten but occasionally I would feel these dull throbs as if the pain itself was echoing in the back of my mind. Shaking it off I returned home where Ukyo was working at the table. "Hey Ukyo, you look like you've got a lot of work there." I said to him as I took off my light summer coat and placed it on the hanger so that it was out of the way.

"Yes though it's mainly paperwork. Nothing exciting." He told me as he looked up and smiled welcomingly. "Welcome home, thank you for taking Wataru to school."

"Always a pleasure." I assured him as I made us both some tea to drink. "Say Ukyo, I forgot to ask but how did that case go with that woman, what was her name…Aiko?" An amused expression rose to his face as we drank tea together and I relaxed knowing that it had gone well.

"After the trial, she was furious when she got found out and blurted everything out in a tantrum. Don't you worry about her, she's gone away for a long time and the will has been rectified. I do owe you my thanks for all your help, Rikona." He said but I waved it off as simple luck. I made a few snacks for Ukyo so that he didn't go hungry before then doing my chores such as the washing and then shopping for supplies at the store. My day was so busy that before I knew it I had to pick up Wataru from school so I hurried down and walked him back, bumping into Yusuke on our way home.

"Hey big bro! How was school?" Wataru asked as I waved at him in greeting.

"It was alright, sucks being the last year kind of but hey, no biggie." Yusuke shrugged it off trying to act all chilled so I pinched his cheek as I walked past. "Hey!"

"Come on Suke, I know you'll miss it when you go to college." I told him and instantly he blushed as we all walked together.

"Well, it won't be so bad I guess…you know…seeing as you and I will end up in the same year for college. It'll be weird though, seeing as your so much older than I am." I arched an eyebrow, questioning what he meant and he quickly backtracked. "Wait no! That's not what I meant! I mean…uh…aw crap."

"You're adorable." I giggled and he rolled his eyes at my teasing him for still getting flustered around me. "Honestly Suke you need to learn how to talk to girls if you want to get a girlfriend someday, you sure there's no one at school who takes your interest?"

"No!"

"Yeah there is!" Wataru piped up and instantly I was paying my full attention to him. "Yusuke has had a crush on the same girl ever since they started school together. Her name is Ema and she's super pretty though not as pretty as you, big sis." Wataru added sweetly and I chuckled.

"Thank you little bunny you're very kind. Well Yusuke, if you want to ask Ema out then maybe you should start by talking to her." I said to him as I thought carefully. "Though it helps to be noticed by her first, are you two friendly?" Yusuke shrugged unhelpfully so I nudged his shoulder. "Don't be embarrassed, I'd love to meet her one day since you're so obviously head over heels for her." I teased him. "I know, one way for a girl to notice a guy is when they're being helpful or they help her in some way. If you see Ema with something heavy then offer to carry it for her, or help her out with something and be nice." I listed off as I instructed Yusuke on how best to get a girl's attention. "That will establish the beginnings of the relationship and from there on say hello and good morning every time you see her but try to be cool about it. Oh! Also, make sure you smile. Be friendly and polite, then after you think you've got a good friendship going, you can invite her around for dinner."

"Here?! No way! I am not bringing a girl home so that everyone else can tease the both of us, she'll run away the moment Tsubaki opens his mouth." Yusuke protested and I admitted he did have a point.

"Well, invite her out then. Go to the movies, the arcade, somewhere she can have fun with you. It's your last chance this year Yusuke, at least tell her how you feel!" I encouraged him determinedly as we got home. He didn't look too convinced but I hoped at least he would take some of what I said on board so I patted him on the head and made sure he went to do his homework as Wataru sat at the table to do his. Futo would be home this evening so I made sure to make plenty of food and sure enough when people began to wander down, they could smell my cooking.

"I can't tell you how much we missed smelling your food Rikki." Tsubaki said to me as he came up behind me and gave me a hug, wrapping his arms over me as I watched over the frying pan. "Hmm…it smells so good!"

"Tsubaki she can't cook with you hanging over her like that. Give Rikona some space." Azusa sighed, thumping his brother on the head and I giggled. I had missed the interactions between everyone.

"Come on you two, no fighting in the kitchen." I chided gently then handed them both cutlery so that they could lay the table. "I'll be done in just a minute, make sure you've all washed up!" They all chorused back just as Futo came in.

"I'm home, hey is big sis cooking tonight? Glad I came back." Futo mused and I chuckled as he sauntered over to the table and sat down, ready and waiting however when we caught each other's gazes he winked. He's so cute. Serving everyone their dinner they waited until I was sat down before we all clapped our hands together and expressed our gratitude for the food before digging in. Everyone immediately tucked in and I looked around to see a near full table, only a few faces were missing tonight.

"Wow Kona, this is great! So like, I was thinking that maybe you'd want to get a haircut soon or something, you know since it's getting all hot?" Louis said to me in his chilled voice and I looked up in thought. "I think you'd look, like, totally cute with a side swept style, I could totally do it for you."

"Thanks Louis, I think a change would be nice." I mused as I looked at my hair and noticed that it had grown pretty long. The ends could do with a trim anyway so why not? "I'll leave my hair in your care." We smiled at one another and Wataru beamed, suggesting that Louis give me curls and big ponytails so that I'd look like a princess doll and the others laughed slightly at the image that must have come to mind as I did to. Wataru was really sweet, I adored him. We ate together and some of the boys cleared up as I helped Yusuke with the homework he was struggling with before I was then able to relax. The sky was clear and the air was still warm as I gazed out over the city, watching as the lights flickered on one by one.

I hadn't seen Natsume since the hospital as he'd had to leave town because of a conference, however he kept on messaging me to let me know how he was doing as I worried. I fussed over his eating and smoking habits, telling him that he had to cut down on the cigarettes as he'd started smoking them pretty heavily after I went into the hospital and he promised he was doing his best. Almost as if he knew I was thinking about him, I got another message on my phone as it buzzed so I picked it up and read it. I smiled as I read and replied, blushing slightly as I remembered how he'd kissed me at the hospital and all those promises he'd made. A part of me was nervous however most of me felt ready. I wanted to be with him in every way possible and I couldn't help but shiver slightly in anticipation. When he gets back, I'm going to go and see him and demand that he made good on all those promises he made me, or I'll make sure he at least never forgets.


	35. Chapter 35

Walking through the town centre I brushed my hair from my face, smiling as I looked at the shortened locks. It was now touching my shoulders with a new style that seemed to suit my face rather well, the mauve indigo locks shining under the sun as I walked. I'd just picked up some presents for Wataru's birthday and I was heading home, however as if by design of the fates I saw Natsume in the crowd and he had already spotted me. He was walking towards me so I lifted my hand to signal that I had saw him and we stopped outside that same café shop that we had gone into all that time ago. "Hello." I said to him, smiling as I shielded my eyes to look up at him. "Are you all done with your conference?"

"Yeah I just got back, I was actually in town looking for some things I need." He said to me, gesturing to the bag he was carrying. "But since we're here, do you want to get something to eat?" Reaching out his hand Natsume tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and I blushed slightly, nodding my head so he offered me his arm for me to take and we walked together like that. It was both euphoric and nostalgic, walking side by side with Natsume and I naturally rested my head against him as we both looked completely contented. "So how are you feeling? No setbacks or anything?"

"Not at all, I'm all healed up and I actually started my job a few days ago. I'm really enjoying it though some of the shifts are going to be rather long. At least the pay is decent." I started before telling him all about the customers and the place. "Some people can be rather rude and have terrible table manners but I guess it's because our cultures are different, so I try not to be too unhappy with them though there was this one person who kept on trying to look under one of the waitress's skirts so I made sure to have one of the guys serve him instead. He wasn't too happy about that." With a sigh I shook my head. Honestly, some people were just too rude. Natsume listened to me talk all about the work and other things, not saying a single word until I realised I'd been going on for a while. "Sorry, I completely went off on a tangent."

"Don't apologise, it's good to hear your voice again." He said and I blushed as we sat down to a meal together. The conversation never seemed to die between us as I asked questions and discussed topics with him and I was surprised to learn that Natsume actually had a very funny sense of humour. He made me laugh more than one time that afternoon and we stayed like that for what felt like hours until I realised it had gone dark.

"Oh wow, I didn't realise it had gotten so late." I murmured as I stepped outside, looking at the night sky before relaxing. "At least it's still warm."

"True, this has been a very hot summer." Natsume agreed as he reached out and placed his arm around me to draw me close. "But the breeze is a little chilly so it's best if we walk like this." His eyes gleamed mischievously at me as I gave him a look but did not argue, walking with him to his car where we had stored our bags and he opened the door from me. "I'll take you home, sorry for keeping you so long."

"Natsu?" I began, feeling my stomach clench slightly as I slowly swallowed a breath, turning to face him before I had got into the car and I gripped onto the door for support just in case my legs gave out from the nervousness I was feeling. "I…I um…" Biting on my lip I forced myself to look him in the eye and grip onto his writs tightly, tugging him towards me. "I want to go home with you, Natsume. I…I want you to keep your promises." An initial reaction of alarm appeared in Natsume's face before it quickly disappeared and I closed my eyes, blushing brightly. This was stupid, I shouldn't have just blurted it out like that but how else was I supposed to say it? Besides, what if I chicken out at the last moment? I can't just force there to be the right atmosphere and everything, what if it's awkward?

Before I could apologise to Natsume he'd suddenly changed our grips so that he was the one pulling me forwards and his head ducked to my mouth and claimed it, kissing me with enough restraint that it was on the cusp of passion and just over the line of gentle. I shuddered euphorically at his touch and quickly gripped onto him as his hand gripped the back of my head and I felt his fingers grip onto my hair before all at once he pulled back. "How about we start with a coffee?" He suggested to me with a wink and I blushed before nodding my head and got into the car.

All the way back I didn't know where to look or what to do, fidgeting every now and then until Natsume reached out and placed his hand over mine, thumb brushing over my skin so I relaxed and simply leaned back, closing my eyes to rest a while as I listened to the traffic outside. When we got to Natsume's place I lost my nerve a little, the lump rising in my throat however as I got out the car I suddenly found myself being lifted up by Natsume who carried me over his shoulder. "Hey! Natsu what are you doing? I can walk my legs are just fine you know!" I berated him however he only chuckled.

"I was just worried that they might not yet be as strong as they used to be. Don't worry, you're not heavy or anything." He said to me and I pouted, leaning my chin on my fist as I let him carry me all the way up to his apartment. "You'll have to excuse any mess, I left in a hurry for my flight."

"It's fine, I can help tidy up if you need." I answered naturally and I blushed. A while ago I had asked him to take me back to his place in order to sleep together and now here I was offering to clean. Unless he was into role play and that kind of stuff, it would be a huge turn off.

"Don't worry about it. Here we go." Opening the door Natsume stepped inside and put me down from his shoulder, both of us taking off our shoes as the two cats rushed towards us. "Calm down you two, I'll feed you in a minute."

"Aw I forgot how cute you two were! Hey there guys, did you miss me?" I asked in adoration as I knelt down and they instantly climbed all over me, purring and rubbing their heads against me as I stroked their fur.

"It really astonishes me, they hate pretty much everyone. They even dislike me most of the time but they seem to really love you." Natsume mused as I hugged the one called Azusa to me, tickling his neck happily.

"What can I say? I'm a cat person." Natsume contemplated me for a minute before smiling and walking away, heading into the kitchen to get the cats their dinner and make some coffee. The moment they heard their food bowls clinking they dashed off with hungry meows, making me giggle and stand up whilst dusting myself off from all the cat hairs. I put my bag down somewhere out of the way before looking around the flat. It was a little messy so I started to pick up rubbish and throw it into the bin, neatening files and reports to stack them on his desk and also found a cloth in one of his cabinets to wipe away the dust.

"Hey, you don't have to do that." Natsume said to me as he entered with two cups of coffee, one of which he handed to me. "Come on, sit down and relax for a bit, we can watch a movie." I smiled at him thankfully, feeling touched by his consideration as I sipped my coffee. He'd made it exactly the way I liked it without even needing to ask. Did he just know or did he have his coffee the same way?

"Um, how did you know I liked my coffee strong with sugar?" I asked him and he tossed me a smug smirk.

"I notice things about you." He answered as he put the cats out after they'd eaten and they disappeared into the night to hunt and play. Surprisingly I found myself forgetting about the entire reason I wanted to come here as I made suggestions for a movie and once we had one set up Natsume sat down and pulled me down in front of him, legs curling around me as well as his arms as I nestled into him naturally. Without a word he placed a kiss into my neck and I wriggled slightly at the tickling sensation before settling once more, both of us turning our eyes towards the film. It was one that the both of us really enjoyed though I had only seen part of it before so Natsume warned me whenever something unexpected was going to happen so I didn't jump and throw my coffee all over him.

I was so relaxed in Natsume's home that all my nerves simply faded away, growing so accustomed to the sensation of his arms around me that when he got up to take our mugs back to the kitchen it felt rather cold without him there. As he did that I put the film away, neatly sliding it back into place. "Are you tired?" Natsume asked me however I shook my head.

"Not really, though it's a little colder now. Has the temperature dropped?" I asked as I stood up and looked outside to see that some clouds had rolled in over the sky.

"I'll close the window. I'm going to take a shower so make yourself comfortable. I'll be out soon." He said before disappearing and I frowned slightly. Something tells me that he was stalling. Shaking my head I sat down on his bed patiently and waited, chewing on my lip and fiddling with my hair until he emerged from the bathroom with a breath of steam, drying off his hair dressed in a shirt and shorts. Silently he walked in and closed the door, the sound making my heart jolt slightly as he came and sat next to me. "Listen, I know back at the hospital I might have sounded rather abrasive and arrogant, but I didn't mean for it to sound like you had no choice in the matter." Natsume said to me and I blinked at him, finally realising why he had been hesitating all night. He'd been worried about me forcing myself to do this just for him. "If you're not ready for this then I can wait as long as you-!"

Feeling a huge burst of love for him I grasped his face and kissed his lips to silent them, closing my eyes into the wonderful sensation of our mouths connecting so intimately. Natsume gave a small sound of surprise before leaning into my kiss and placing his hands upon my waist. He pulled me towards him so that I sat upon his lap and I dropped his head towel to the ground, feeling his damp hair through my fingers as I resurfaced for air and lifted my head to gasp, feeling flushed all over. Natsume instantly turned his head into my neck, gently pulling at the flesh as his fingers kneaded into my waist and slowly bunched up the skirt of my dress.

"Natsume." I whispered, closing my eyes into the sensations I was receiving before I looked down and gently tilted his head upwards to look at me. I was glad to see that his expression almost mirrored my own. Flushed and heavy lidded. "I love you." That snapped him awake however before he could react I kissed him and let my fingers begin to tentatively explore. I ran my hands down over the muscle of his arms and shoulders then lifted his shirt to pull it over his head and feel his exposed skin. At my back I felt Natsume slid down the zip to my dress so I lifted my arms and let him take it off, feeling a little awkward to be so exposed to him however my mind was soon taken off it as he turned me over into the bed and pressed loving kisses and touches all over my body.

Soon I was gasping and writhing beneath him, feeling my body react as it should to such attention and heat flared at the bottom of my stomach and I felt an odd warmth begin to appear at the apex of my thighs. Natsume pulled one hand away to reach for the wall, fumbling a moment before he turned off the light and the sudden plunge into darkness made me grip onto him more tightly as I opened my eyes and looked around but Natsume then pulled back and switched on the two lamps which gave a soft and golden glow to the room. "Just tell me at any point if you want to stop." He said to me in a soft whisper, nibbling at my ear. "This is completely your call."

"Don't stop." I pleaded him, enjoying the sensations all too much. Smiling down at me I felt his arms curl under my body and lift me up, turning me around so that I was pressed against the wall, his fingers undoing the clasps of my bra before sliding it from me and I fought the urge to hide myself from him. When he started to touch my breasts I began to react with a stronger voice, his tongue tasting the softest flesh of my body as his other hand travelled lower. "N-Natsu? What are you doing?" I questioned, blinking in surprise before suddenly I felt a pressure that caused my body to suddenly tighten and convulse, forcing me to cry out a little more loudly. "Natsu! Not so much, I don't want to disturb the…the neighbours." I breathed heavily, moaning as his hand continued to caress at the hot wetness between my legs.

"Screw the neighbours." He growled huskily before continuing his gentle and slow caressing, his hand pushed inside my underwear. My body began to demand more, wanting to feel that same heat and passion from before but it just wasn't there right now. His kisses were tame in comparison and soon I began to feel the sensations dull.

"Natsume…more. I want to feel more." I said to him, cheeks bright red but I didn't care. "Kiss me like before, like the first time." His eyes lifted to meet mine, carefully reading my eyes before suddenly he gripped my hair and pulled my head backwards, eliciting a tight gasp as his tongue plunged into my mouth and his grip between my legs tightened as his knees pushed mine further apart to allow him entry. My gaze went a little hazy at the delicate balance between pain and pleasure as my back was pressed even harder into the wall my arms clinging onto him tightly as I felt my entire body tense against the sudden burst of sensations that rippled through me. This was it, this was exactly what I wanted. Natsume was fierce and passionate, leaving no part of me unexplored as I dropped my head to his neck and bit down to try and relieve some of the building pressure I felt and he grunted, flinching slightly but didn't pull away from me.

"Rikona you need to relax." Natsume said to me a little breathlessly as he pushed me down into his bed, fingers running through my hair and rubbing my scalp to ease away the prickling sensation he had left behind from where he'd grasped it so tightly. "This is your first time, right?"

"I was saving it for you." I admitted a little bashfully however Natsume just smiled, kissing my face as his hands travelled down my body and pulled down my underwear, tossing them over his shoulder before he then pushed my legs wide apart in a rather scandalous position.

"You might want to grip onto the covers." He warned me and I blinked at him as he slowly pulled away from me before all at once his arms curled under my legs and he buried his tongue into the most sensitive part of my body. This time I did not hold back my voice as I twisted my fingers into the sheets, naturally arching my back as my vision burst with stars. Being inexperienced I hadn't even thought about people doing something like this before, it just hadn't really occurred to me but now that I think about it, there was so much I didn't know about this part of adulthood. I was far behind but I was determined to catch up.

With Natsume slowing down the pace a little I was able to relax and he whispered into my ear to keep me reassured as he embraced me, peppering kisses down my face as he then discarded his own bottoms and I lay for a moment, recovering my breath as my fingers remained gripped onto the sheets tightly. "Last chance Rik, are you sure you want this?" Nodding my head I opened my eyes and looked to him, surprised by how calm I was but I trusted Natsu with everything, so I reached out my hands towards him, opening them to his embrace.

That night was not one I ever forgot as Natsu made love to me for the first time but certainly not the last. It seemingly opened a whole new door to my life and as I woke up in the morning wrapped up in his arms I found myself smiling, happy that I had been giving the chance to have such a wonderful family and the chance to find that one person who I would make a family of my own with. Natsume kept all of his promises, never leaving my side after that and I enjoyed every day of my life through the good times and the bad because I knew that he was there with me all the way through our lives together until the very end.


End file.
